Bernardo Monk
Biografía
Bernardo Monk nació en Buenos Aires, Argentina en 1975. Proveniente de una familia de músicos, comenzó a estudiar saxofón a los catorce años. Sus primeros maestros fueron Eduardo De Luca, Víctor Skorupksi y Carlos Lastra.
En 2000, Bernardo se graduó como Músico Profesional en la Escuela de Música Contemporánea de Buenos Aires donde obtuvo, mediante audición, una beca para continuar sus estudios en Berklee College of Music de Boston, USA.
En Berklee, Monk obtuvo los premios: Charlie Parker Scholarship, Woodwinds Department Achievement Award, graduándose Summa Cum Laude en 2003 en la carrera de Jazz Performance. Monk tuvo la oportunidad de estudiar con grandes maestros y músicos de jazz como Joe Lovano, Hal Crook, Charlie Banacos, Ed Tomassi, Jeorge Garzone y Phil Wilson.
Su carrera profesional en Boston incluye grabaciones y actuaciones con Oscar Stagnaro’s Perú Mestizo, Tito Puente Jr., Eguie Castrillo’s Latin Big Band, Sol y Canto, Sofia Rei, Patricia Vlieg, Marta Gómez, Pablo Ablanedo y Ryles Jazz Orchestra.
En mayo de 2004, junto con el pianista Octavio Brunetti, obtuvo el Primer Premio en el “Concurso Internacional de Tango de Nueva York” en la categoría “Dúo”.
Entre los prestigiosos artistas del tango con los cuales Bernardo ha grabado y actuado, se encuentran Néstor Marconi, Daniel Binelli y Horacio Molina.
Como solista, su discografía incluye Cambio de frente (2011), Ponele la firma (2006) y Estación Buenos Aires (2004).
En 2008, tras regresar a la Argentina, Bernardo fue convocado por el compositor Osvaldo Golijov para grabar el tema principal de la película “Tetro” de Francis Ford Coppola. En 2010 publicó el libro El saxofón en el tango, primer método para la inclusión del saxofón en la música ciudadana de Buenos Aires.
Actualmente alterna su carrera solista en el tango con la participación en otros proyectos de diversos géneros musicales (Ensamble Real Book Argentina, Mariano Otero Noneto, Sebastián Monk, etc.).
Es profesor de la cátedra saxofón-tango en la Escuela de Música Popular de Avellaneda, en el IUNA (ensamble de tango) y en el instituto CAEMSA (ensamble de jazz y saxofón).
Biography
Buenos Aires-born Bernardo Monk began studying and playing music in 1990. He was fourteen years old. Everyone in his immediate family was a musician, so he too followed the family path. His first saxophone instructors were Eduardo De Luca, Victor Skorupski and Carlos Lastra. Soon the enthusiastic young artist Bernardo Monk was becoming a skilled performer on soprano and alto saxophones.
By 2000, Bernardo had graduated from the Contemporary Music School in Buenos Aires. Then he won an International Scholarship to study at the world famous Berklee College of Music, in Boston where he expanded his instrumental palette to include tenor and baritone saxes, flute and clarinet.
At Berklee he continued to stand out, winning two more awards: the prestigious Charlie Parker Scholarship and the Berklee Woodwinds Department Achievement Award. Having studied intensively under the guidance of such top jazz players and educators as Joe Lovano, Hal Crook, Charlie Banacos, Ed Tomassi, George Garzone, and Phil Wilson, Monk graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2003 with a Major in Jazz Performance.
During his time in the U.S., Monk also had the opportunity to perform, tour and/or record with such excellent groups as bassist Oscar Stagnaro's Peru Mestizo, The Tito Puente, Jr. Orchestra, Sol y Canto, Puerto Rican percussionist Eguie Castrillo's Latin Big Band and The Ryles Jazz Orchestra, Sofia Rei as well as ensembles led by Panamanian vocalist Patricia Elena Vlieg Quintero, Columbian singer/songwriter Marta Gomez, and Argentinean pianist/composer Pablo Ablanedo.
In 2004, Bernardo and Argentine pianist Octavio Brunetti got the first prize at the "International Tango Competition" in New York in the duo category.
He performed and recorded with such prestigious tango musicians as Néstor Marconi, Daniel Binelli, and Horacio Molina.
His discography as a soloist includes Cambio de frente (2011), Ponele la firma (2006) and Estación Buenos Aires (2004). These albums capture the full essence of his unique ability to unite the musical motifs of tango and jazz.
In 2008, after moving back to Argentina, Bernardo collaborated with celebrated Argentinean composer Osvaldo Golijov recording the sound track for the movie Tetro directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Monk is the author of the book The saxophone in tango (2010), the first method devoted to the inclusion of the saxophone in Argentine Tango.
He currently performs with other groups such as Ensamble Real Book Argentina, Mariano Otero Nonet, Sebastián Monk, etc. These projects, focused in other musical genres mean a huge source of inspiration for Bernardo's music.
In Buenos Aires, he teaches tango-saxophone at the Popular Music School in Avellaneda (EMPA), tango ensemble at the National Institute of Art (IUNA) and saxophone and jazz ensemble at the CAEMSA Institute.