Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacques Zafra.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jacques. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started studying music relatively late. Although I had my first guitar when I was 13, it wasn’t until I was 18 that I started taking classes formally and with the right teachers. For years I wanted to enter one of the public music schools in Mexico City to study Classical Music, but I had the idea that it would not be possible due to my age, and the very little experience I had with music. So the only option I thought I had at the time was to study a degree in guitar focused on Rock and Jazz at a private school.
In the context of a class called “Traditional Harmony” the teacher recommended going to a concert by, according to him, “the best string quartet in the world” (the Arditti Quartet). Faced with such a statement, I had no choice but to go check it out. I’ve never heard of anything like that. I was perplexed. But it was after that concert that I decided to abandon Jazz and Rock and start studying what we commonly known as Classical Music.
As soon as possible, I switched to a school specially designed for people who started studying music relatively late and who want to be composers. There, I studied a double major in composition and music theory. In 2012, almost at the end of my studies and on the recommendation of Pablo Gómez (who was my guitar teacher at the time), I went for the first time to the Darmstadt Summer Course where I met Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf with whom I would study the master’s and post-master’s degrees, in Leipzig, Germany from 2013 to 2018.
From the beginning of my studies in Germany, I knew that when I finished, I was going to try to study a PhD in the USA. That process was much more complicated than I expected. In the span of two years I applied 18 times to a total of 12 universities. Of the options I had, without a doubt, the one that I considered the most suitable for me was UCSD— where I am currently studying a PhD with Roger Reynolds.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest obstacle I had was being faced with the opinion of relatives and close people who either considered that I should not study music because in this area it is very difficult to earn money, or because they did not consider that I had the skills that according to them are required.
Fortunately, my mother always supported me, both emotionally and financially. I must also say that eventually some of the people who tried to convince me not to study music also supported me in various ways, for which I am very grateful.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I define myself as a composer, multimedia creator, teacher and promoter of contemporary music. Essentially, as a composer I have dedicated myself to the composition of chamber music in which I try to challenge the conventions that, in my opinion, hinder the development of certain music or expressions. The creation of multimedia content is an audio-visual complement to my musical work, and it happens mainly on social networks.
As a teacher I work at UCSD as a TA, as well as independently with private students. Also, for a couple of years I have been developing a YouTube channel focused on Spanish-speaking audiences in which I explain basic music theory concepts of European tradition. As a promoter of “New Music” I have another YouTube channel called Mexican Scores, where I publish works by mainly Mexican composers. In addition, I am a member of an ensemble called Tempus Konnex, based in Germany which is dedicated to the performance of “New Music”.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Ideally, upon finishing my PhD, I would like to do a post-doctorate here in the US. Later, I would like to move to Berlin while I look for a position at some university, ideally in a German-speaking country, but depending on the circumstances I would be open to going to many parts of the world. I imagine the end of my days (hopefully after I turn 100) could be somewhere in Canada, surrounded by snow and forest.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://jacqueszafra.wixsite.com/composer
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacques.zafra
- Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/jacqueszafra/
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