Hèctor Parra

Hèctor Parra i Esteve (born 17 April 1976) is a Spanish composer. Since 2002 he lives in Paris. Born in Barcelona, Parra completed his studies with Carles Guivoart, David Padrós and Maria Jesús Crespo at the Municipal Conservatory of Barcelona with an award in composition and a distinction in piano. After also graduating in choral conducting, he studied orchestra conducting with Arturo Tamayo at the University of Alcalá. He continued his composition studies with Michael Jarrell at the Geneva University of Music in 2005–2006, and with Jonathan Harvey, Brian Ferneyhough, Beat Furrer and Philippe Manoury at IRCAM, Royaumont foundation academy, Centre Acanthes (France) and Takefu (Japan). He was selected for studying composition and computer music at IRCAM (2002–2003) with Mikhail Malt and Philippe Leroux. He earned a master's degree in Sciences and Technology of Art from the Paris 8 University Vincennes-Saint-Denis under the supervision of Horacio Vaggione in 2005. Beside music, he studied painting and drawing at Francesco Miñarro's studio in Barcelona. Between 2005 and 2012 he was a professor of Electroacoustic composition at the Conservatory of Music of Aragon between 2013 and 2017 he was composition professor at IRCAM. He has also been member of several juries in international competitions such as Concours international de piano d'Orléans 2017 and Geneva International Music Competition 2019. His works have been performed internationally by ensembles like Ensemble Intercontemporain, the Arditti Quartet, ensemble recherche, musikfabrik, Klangforum Wien, Freiburger Barockorchester, Concerto Köln, SWR Symphonieorchester, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquesta Nacional de España, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Orchestre national d'Île-de-France, Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin or the ensemble mosaik as well as many soloists.