Stefan Bracaval is living in Antwerp, Belgium.
He was born in Mechelen december 9th 1967.
During his childhood, he had a training in CLASSICAL music in his hometown with Rit Schelstraete and he graduaded in 1990 at the Antwerp Royal Conservatory.
Already at a young age, he is fascinated by the freedom and creativity of improvisation, and he decides to continue his quest in JAZZ.
As a JAZZ flutist he is self-taught, except for some summerclasses with John Ruocco when he was a teenager and a one year course at the Brussels Royal Conservatory with Steve Houben (1990-1991).
At that time, he also played in a few groups around his hometown, including among others Frank Vaganee, Chris Joris and Bert Lams.
He then formed his own groups, performing mainly his own compositions:
Elixir (1992 the 1st prize of the "Brussels Jazz Rallye" ,ex aequo with Michel Bisceglia trio.)
Ernst Vranckx - Stefan Bracaval (1994 the SABAM "Prix Nicolas Dor" for their performance at "Jazz à Liège");
with Ernst Vranckx he made a CD “Aquarelle” and a belgian radiobroadcast with Kenny Wheeler & John Ruocco.
Sumari Flamenco Jazz Project (co-leader with José Toral) : tours in 2002 & 2004 .
Stefan Bracaval Quartet (with Hendrik Braeckman, Werner Lauscher & Marc Lehan) 2007: CD "Insight Inside"
As a sideman, he played in the group of Karl van Deun and Stephane Martini “Papagaio”.
Occasionally Stefan performed with Barre Phillips, Deborah Brown, Charles Loos, Chris Joris, Garrett List , Bert Joris & the Brussels Jazz Orchestra.
In 2006 he joined the Pierre Anckaert ensemble which released the CD "Pierre Anckaert Quintet & Brussels Chamber Orchestra",
Together with Pierre, he also played in the "74 miles away" project. They released the CD Stefan Bracaval & Pierre Anckaert : "Woodworks".
Nowadays he plays regulary with Anne Wolf wooden trio + Stefan Bracaval ; Bruno Vansina Orchestra, Book of Air: vvolk, Lara Rosseel band, Anne Niepold "musette is not dead" , Few strings attached,...
In 2018 he launches his new QU4RTET !
Open and curious to explore other musical horizons Stefan played with people from the FOLK & WORLD music scene:
José Toral, Amparo Cortés, Chano Lobato, Weshm (Najib Cherradi), Rihla ( Abid Bahri & Arsis String quartet) Moufadhel Adhoum, MANdolinMAN ,Jackie Oates, Robb Johnson, Fay Hield, Tim Eriksen, Martin Simpson ,Nancy Kerr, Michel Godard ,Kevin Seddiki
He worked with cats from the POP scene , as a flute player (or as a multi-instrumentalist, once in a while) : Raymond Van het Groenewoud, dEUS, Hooverphonic, Jo Lemaire , Savalas (David Poltrock), Wigbert, Catherine Delasalle, Barbara Dex, Jan de Smet, Tom Pintens, Roosbeef, Guido Belcanto, Lilliane Saint Pierre...
For Along A line, a crossover band, he arranged the pop songs of Aline Goffin for a classical chamber ensemble.
He did studiosessions for FILM music and commercials.
He appears in the Music-theater productions:
Muziektheater Transparant & Flemish Opera: "Koningin van de nacht", a free adaptation of Mozart's "Magic Flute" for young people . music by Jan van Outryve 2012/13
LOD & Oxalys "De eenzaamheid van de egel" music by Dick Vanderharst. 2013
"Reinhart De Vos" Het Geluidshuis 2018
He enjoys teaching :
He has taught Jazzflute at The Royal Conservatory of Antwerp and harmony at “Studio Herman Teirlinck”.
He released his book "Alle dagen zon !", a pedagogical publication: an original and fun way of learning basic skills, like scales and broken chords, on your instrument, leading to an initiation into improvisation.
He also conceived "Krullebol" : a new flute method book learning very young children to play music by ear.
At present he teaches at the PopJazz department of the Academy in Grimbergen (near Brussels) .