Salvador Brotons (b. 1959)

Salvador Brotons was born in Barcelona in 1959. He studied Flute with his father and did his musical studies at the Barcelona Conservatory of Music, achieving the Superior title in Flute, Composition and Orchestra Conducting. In 1985 he moved to the United States and received his Doctorate in Music from Florida State University. He has been a pupil of X. Monsalvatge and R. Johnson in Composition, and A. Ros-Marba and P. Spurgeon in Conducting.

From 1977 to 1985 he served as principal flute of the Barcelona Opera Orchestra as well as being a member of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Brotons has composed a considerable amount of orchestral, chamber and vocal pieces and has received thirteen composition awards including the Spanish National Orchestra Award for his Four Pieces for Strings (1977), the Golden Youth Award (1980), the Generalitat of Catalunya Prize for his Second Symphony (1984). The Barcelona Town Prize for his Absences for orchestra (1986), the Southeastern Composers League (1986), the Madison University Flute Choir Composition Award (1987), and the Queen Sofia prize (1991) for his Virtus for orchestra. Twenty nine of his pieces have been published by major publishers in Catalonia, England, France, Spain and the United States.

He has premiered his Opera in two acts Everyman commissioned by the Florida State University and WFSU-TV in Tallahassee, and he is a busy composer receiving continuously new commissions. Nineteen of his pieces have been recorded in several CD's and records in Europe as well as in USA.

While continuing his deep interest in composing, Dr. Brotons' main activity is conducting. He has guest conducted several orchestras and ensembles in America as well as in Europe. He has conducted four of his compositions in two records by the recording companies EMI and GARNET.

Dr. Brotons is currently Associate Professor of Music at Portland State University, where he teaches Counterpoint and Music Literature, and is the Conductor of the University Orchestra. He is also the Music Director and Conductor of the Vancouver (WA) Symphony Orchestra.