Bonfill, Xavier
is a Catalan composer and performer based in Copenhagen. He studied composition with Jeppe Just Christensen, Hans Peter Stubbe Teglbjerg, Niels Rosing-Schow, and Bernat Vivancos in both Copenhagen and Barcelona. He is a graduate soloist from the Royal Danish Academy of Music, where he debuted in May 2022. Also in 2022, he received the Pelle Prize (named after composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen) as “a talent who dares to defy contemporary norms.”
His artistic output includes works for traditional instruments, electronics, video, and other multimedia formats such as interactive websites and apps. He is also the founder of haknam, a new ensemble dedicated to exploring new forms of interactivity in electronic music and multimedia performance, and and Don’t Look Back Records, a record label, concert organiser, and IRL/WWW community for cutting-edge music and sound art. Additionally, he has entered into a long-term collaboration with the Copenhagen-based trio NEKO3, including a concerto grosso YES FOR NO and a piece for prepared and deconstructed piano and LED panels three_four_maybe.
Xavier has released several albums and EPs, including (the.whole. picture) with haknam, and Refshalen Tapes under his own name. His music has been performed throughout Europe at festivals and events such as Impuls, Sound of Stockholm, Klang, and Spor, by the likes of the Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, Avanti!, and Quatuor Diotima.
Selected works: YES FOR NO for symphony orchestra, three soloists, live electronics and lights (2019–20), 2x2 for two instruments, MIDI pedals and live electronics (2020), (the.whole.picture) for band and video (2021–22), three_four_maybe for MIDI controllers, prepared piano, 24 solenoids and three LED panels (2020–21), hikikomori (solo) for cristal baschet, steel cello, electronics and video (one performer) (2023–24).