Juan Garcia-Herreros
Encyclopedia
Juan Garcia-Herreros, also known as "The Snow Owl", is a native born Colombian Bassist & Composer, notable for his virtuoso musicianship and for his use of a customised 6-stringed Electric Contrabass Guitar.
, Colombia
. His first musical studies began with Flute
at the age 9 after moving to New York City
with his family. Once he completed middle school his family relocated once again to Dunedin, Florida
where he discovered the electric bass
. Due to the fact that his family was unable to afford private lessons his passion for learning fueled him to become a self-taught musician. Juan was just 16 when he began to teach Music Theory
and Jazz
Performance at Dunedin High School
in Florida. His highschool band teacher recognized his young talent and encouraged him to also study acoustic bass
so that he could be a part of the symphonic band in school. After spending many dedicated hours playing both acoustic and electric bass, he auditioned and became proficient enough to perform with the Tampa Bay
Symphony at just 17 years of age.
At the same time Juan competed in New Orleans for a slot in Berklee College of Music
's Scholarship tour and received a coveted scholarship to attend the school in Boston
.
He studied at Berklee with bass instructors Bruce Gertz, Joe Santerre, Rich Appleman and Oscar Stagnaro.
At age 21, he returned to New York City to pursue a professional music career. While in New York, Juan developed the ability to meet the demands of multiple styles. Whether the musical genre is Jazz
, Pop
, Funk
, Salsa
, straight-ahead Rock
, Modern
, Classical
, Heavy metal
, or Avant-garde
he is capable of performing without artistic compromise.
At age 26, he moved to Vienna
, Austria
where he currently resides.
At age 30, he was selected by a jury to become part of the faculty for the Jazz Institute of the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz. He is the first Colombian to be honored with such an academic position in Austria.
As a composer his original compositions have been featured in the off-Broadway
production of "Anatomy of a Knucklehead."
Since 2005 Juan has performed at the NAMM Show
in Anaheim
, California
as well as two solo bass concerts at the 2006 Frankfurt Musikmesse.
He has taught Bass workshops and Masterclasses internationally.
Snow Owl's performances have included major festivals and Venues stretching from Moscow to Europe and The USA
History
Juan Garcia-Herreros was born in BogotáBogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. His first musical studies began with Flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
at the age 9 after moving to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with his family. Once he completed middle school his family relocated once again to Dunedin, Florida
Dunedin, Florida
Dunedin is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The population was 35,691 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 36,632...
where he discovered the electric bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. Due to the fact that his family was unable to afford private lessons his passion for learning fueled him to become a self-taught musician. Juan was just 16 when he began to teach Music Theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
and Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
Performance at Dunedin High School
Dunedin High School
Dunedin High School is a high school in Dunedin, Florida, U.S.A. It is operated by the Pinellas County Schools school district. The school mascot is Freddie the Falcon...
in Florida. His highschool band teacher recognized his young talent and encouraged him to also study acoustic bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
so that he could be a part of the symphonic band in school. After spending many dedicated hours playing both acoustic and electric bass, he auditioned and became proficient enough to perform with the Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
Symphony at just 17 years of age.
At the same time Juan competed in New Orleans for a slot in Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
's Scholarship tour and received a coveted scholarship to attend the school in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
He studied at Berklee with bass instructors Bruce Gertz, Joe Santerre, Rich Appleman and Oscar Stagnaro.
At age 21, he returned to New York City to pursue a professional music career. While in New York, Juan developed the ability to meet the demands of multiple styles. Whether the musical genre is Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, Pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, Funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, Salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
, straight-ahead Rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, Modern
Modern music
Modern music may refer to:* 20th-century music* 20th-century classical music* 21st-century classical music* Contemporary classical music* Modernism * Modern rock* Popular music...
, Classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, Heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, or Avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
he is capable of performing without artistic compromise.
At age 26, he moved to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
where he currently resides.
At age 30, he was selected by a jury to become part of the faculty for the Jazz Institute of the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz. He is the first Colombian to be honored with such an academic position in Austria.
Performances and collaborations
During his career, Juan has performed/collaborated with:- Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
recipients Victor WootenVictor WootenVictor Lemonte Wooten is an American bass player, composer, author, and producer, and has been the recipient of five Grammy Awards....
, Harvie S, Producer Georg Luksch, Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and The Spanish Harlem OrchestraSpanish Harlem OrchestraSpanish Harlem Orchestra is a Latin dance music orchestra based in the United States, founded by Aaron Levinson and Oscar Hernandez.Their debut album was released in October 2002... - Drummers Jojo MayerJojo MayerJojo Mayer is a highly acclaimed Swiss drummer born in Zurich and currently resides in New York City.Mayer is the son of a touring musician and began his career as a drummer at an early age, receiving his first drum set at the age of two...
, Terri Lyne CarringtonTerri Lyne CarringtonTerri Lyne Carrington is a jazz drummer, composer, record producer and entrepreneur. She has played with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets, and many more...
, Thomas LangThomas LangThomas Lang is an Austrian drummer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and record producer. He is the founding member of the Los Angeles-based progressive/avant garde metal trio, stOrk.Lang took up drumming at the age of 5...
and Antonio Sanchez - Alto saxophonists James Spaulding, Miguel ZenonMiguel ZenonMiguel Zenón is an alto saxophonist, composer and bandleader.-Biography:Miguel Zenón was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. While studying at the Escuela Libre de Musica in San Juan, he won a scholarship to the “Berklee in Puerto Rico” program of the Berklee College of Music and a scholarship to...
, Yosveny Terry, Anton Denner, Klaus Dickbauer, Wolfgang Puschnig and Greg OsbyGreg OsbyGreg Osby is an American jazz saxophonist who plays mainly in the free jazz, free funk and M-Base idioms.-Biography:Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Osby studied at Howard University, where he majored in Jazz Studies, and then at the Berklee College of Music, with Andy McGhee... - Trumpetists Lew SoloffLew SoloffLew Soloff is a jazz trumpeter, composer and actor. He studied trumpet at the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School. He is likely best known for his work with Blood, Sweat & Tears from 1968 to 1973...
and Michael Philip MossmanMichael Philip MossmanMichael Philip Mossman is an American hard bop jazz trumpeter.Mossman's early career included a tour of Europe with Anthony Braxton in 1978 and tours with Roscoe Mitchell in the early 1980s. He also did session work in the 1980s, for Styx among others... - Singers Sandra PiresSandra PiresSandra Pires Tavares is a beach volleyball player from Brazil, who won the gold medal in the inaugural women's beach volleyball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics, partnering Jackie Silva....
, Turkish Pop Stars Sertab ErenerSertab ErenerSertab Erener is a Turkish pop music singer and also a cross-over soprano with a vocal range that extends to high F. She is one of the most successful female Turkish pop singers in her homeland, and is considered one of the divas of Turkish pop music...
& Demir DemirkanDemir DemirkanDemir Demirkan is a Turkish musician, Eurovision Song Contest winning composer, formerly guitarist for thrash metal band Mezarkabul. Demir Demirkan started his music life when he was 13 and played guitar with various groups in college...
and Brazilian singer Ana Paula da Silva - ECM recording artist José Maria Saluzzi; Latin Jazz Piano legends Hector Martignon and Oscar Hernandez
- Latin Jazz Percussionists Horacio HernandezHoracio HernandezHoracio "El Negro" Hernandez is a renowned Cuban drummer and percussionist."El Negro" is a gifted musician who represents a new generation of great players following in the footsteps of countrymen Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D'Rivera, Ignacio Berroa, and others. Hernandez plays on the cutting edge of...
, Jorge Bezerra, Master Timbalero "Chino" Nuñes, Roberto Quintero and Bobby SanabriaBobby SanabriaBobby Sanabria is an American drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, bandleader, educator, producer, and writer specializing in Latin jazz.-Biography:Sanabria was born at St. Francis Hospital in the South Bronx, where he grew up... - Jazz / Funk guitarists Mark WhitfieldMark WhitfieldMark Whitfield is an American hard bop and soul-jazz guitarist born in Syosset, New York, probably better known for his recordings as bandleader for both the Verve and Warner Bros. Records record labels...
, Alegre Correa - MandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
Virtuoso Hamilton de Holanda - Modern Jazz Pianists Bill Carrothers, Paul Urbanek and Edward Simon.
- He has also performed and toured with RMM recording artists Michael StuartMichael StuartMichael Stuart is an American salsa singer and actor.- Early years :Stuart was born in New York City, to Puerto Rican parents who settled in the 1960s after emigrating from Puerto Rico. There Stuart received his primary and secondary education. He was musically influenced by his uncle Israel...
and Johnny RiveraJohnny RiveraJohnny Rivera is a Puerto Rican American salsa singer.Rivera was raised in the Bronx, and attended high school at Benjamin Franklin High School. He moved briefly to Puerto Rico before returning to New York to begin a career in music...
.
As a composer his original compositions have been featured in the off-Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of "Anatomy of a Knucklehead."
Since 2005 Juan has performed at the NAMM Show
NAMM Show
The NAMM Show is one of the largest music product trade shows in the world, founded in 1901. It is held every January in Anaheim, California, USA, at the Anaheim Convention Center...
in Anaheim
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as well as two solo bass concerts at the 2006 Frankfurt Musikmesse.
He has taught Bass workshops and Masterclasses internationally.
Snow Owl's performances have included major festivals and Venues stretching from Moscow to Europe and The USA
Awards and recognitions
- In 2006 Snow Owl received the Best Jazz Artist award by Jazz First, a cooperation between Jazzeit Magazine, Quinton Records and Erste Bank.
- His Debut album as a leader was selected as Critic's Choice in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
by Bayerischer RundfunkBayerischer RundfunkBayerischer Rundfunk [Bavarian Broadcasting] is the public broadcasting authority for the German Freistaat of Bavaria, with its main offices located in Munich. BR is a member of ARD.- Legal foundation :...
in 2006. - November 2008 Hans Koller Preis CD of the Year for Martin Reiter's "ALMA". The CD features Juan Garcia-Herreros on "Pra Frederic".
- February 2009 He was selected as a Projekt xchange ambassador to represent Colombia and his integration as an artist in Austrian society. Projekt xchange focuses in bringing foreign and established public figures into Austrian classrooms to talk about their positive and negative experiences of integrating in a foreign country. The Austrian president Dr.Heinz Fischer personally thanked and congratulated him in the opening ceremonies which took place in Vienna's Hofburg palace.
- 2010 Art of Contrabass Guitar is selected winner of Best Traditional Latin Jazz album in America by O's Jazz Newsletter
Current projects
- Snow Owl
- Double Bass Age with Harvie S
- Alejandra Torres
- Sabri Tulug Tirpan
- Duets With Klaus Dickbauer
Discography
- Snow Owl
- Art of Contrabass Guitar
- Tres Caminos
- Painted on Water
- My Green Color
- Mein Mörderischer Salon
- Rumba Para Viena
- Alma
- Shades of Light Trio
- Yolun Yarisi
- Laçador
- An Icecube in Champagne