BIO
<Musician>
[Trombonist] [Composer] [Music Tech]
Ricardo Arbiza is a Uruguayan trombonist, composer, and music technologist. A 2018 Fulbright Scholar and 2019 Organization of American States Scholarship recipient, he relocated to the United States for pursuing graduate studies. He now divides his time among the U.S., Europe, and Uruguay, collaborating on a range of musical projects.
As a performer, Ricardo has appeared with the Montevideo Symphonic Band and the Uruguayan National Symphony Orchestra, as well as with commercial artists like Tito Nieves, Aymeé Nuviola, Florencia Nuñez, and Mala Tuya. He has also performed in big bands, military bands, and brass ensembles. In addition, he co-founded Urubrass, a Uruguayan brass festival that has brought together professionals and students from around the world for eight editions.
Ricardo’s compositions have been performed internationally, earning him first prizes in the 2023 Uruguayan National Composition Contest and the 2015 Trombonanza International Festival in Argentina. In 2022, he served as a composer in residence at the International Trombone Festival in Arkansas. His experimental work includes DIY electroacoustic instruments, circuit bending, and musical web interfaces. As a sound artist, he participated in the 2023 residency at Binaural Nodar in Portugal and co-led workshops at the Asian Art Center in Gwangju, South Korea. He currently co-leads the UNESCO-endorsed Sonic Time Machine project, which recreates historical soundscapes—most recently at the UNESCO World Heritage site Frigorífico Anglo in Fray Bentos, Uruguay.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from the University of the Republic (UDELAR-EUM) in Uruguay and a Master’s degree in Orchestral Instruments (Trombone) from The New School’s Mannes School of Music in New York where studied with NY Philharmonic bass trombonist George Curran. Presently, he is a Ph.D. candidate in Music Performance and Composition at New York University (Steinhardt) under the advice of Dr. Robert Rowe and trombone guide of bass trombonist David Taylor. He also teaches in the Sound and Music Production department at the Technology University of Uruguay (UTEC).