Guillermo Silveira

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (April 23rd, 1959) Silveira is one of the most commissioned, prolific and fascinating composers of his generation.
His works are performed worldwide. La Nación (Buenos Aires, 1980) writes he is “a young composer that has ideas and knows how to express them with coherence, proficiency, and good sense.” The Washington Post describes his work as “good theater, and even better music,” “colorful entertainment,” “dramatic and effective,” and notes his innovative leadership by saying his music is “evidence of where Latin American music is going.” Others have described his pieces as “post-modern sound books,” and “complex lyrical landscapes.”
Silveira’s music reflects his interest in the musical traditions of the Americas and the world, and its ethnic folk traditions. He explores the development of ancient and traditional musical forms as historical process in all continents, considering in each culture the concepts of time, synesthesia, deconstructivism, revisionism, dissemination, peace and environment.
Dr. Silveria writes in all musical genres based on multi-cultural studies. His work ranges from solo instruments to symphony orchestra, from cantata to opera and musical, from primitive music instruments and concrete sounds to computer electronic music. Silveira has done many inter-art collaborations with leading writers, visual artists, and musicians. He has written music for many films. His pieces include “Concierto Porteño,” “Danzacontradanza,” “Ecology Symphony,” “The cyclical night,” “Argentina Fantástica,” “La ronda del Angelito,” “Más Allá del Río Grande,” “Ten Mad Songs for the End of the World,” “The Script of God,” “4 Mondrian,” “Amazonas,” “Labyrinth of music,” “The Happy Prince,” “Urban Arias,” “Triumph of the Spirit,” “MetrOpera,” and “Please, Call me... Jackie.”
Silveira’s awards and commissions include: Citicorp, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Meet The Composer, D.C. Community Humanities Council, Latin-American music Center at Indiana University, D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, D.C. mayor Award, National Endowment for the Arts, Benjamin T. Rome, Maryland State Arts Council, Peabody Conservatory of Music, Cannes film festival, organization of American States, Pro-Arte, The World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, International Monetary Found, The Royal Netherlands Embassy, Embassy of Mexico, Embassy of Brazil, Embassy of Panama, Embassy of Argentina, Embassy of Spain, and Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Fundación Santelmo, and Manzana de las Luces, Argentina.
He is currently working on chamber music compositions, a new videOpera, and a commissioned symphonic poem inspired by the literature of Jorge Luis Borges.
Guillermo is Ambassador for Peace at the Universal Peace Federation.
"There is no other musician in Washington -- perhaps no other musician anywhere -- quite like Guillermo Silveira" Joseph McLellan, special to The Washington Post.