top of page

 

 

   
     
 

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) .

 

B i o g r a p h y

bottom of page