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Solo
One Bandola, Many Worlds
My work as a soloist has focused on performing music written originally for the bandola and for other plucked string instruments from around the world, such as the mandolin, the bandolim, the domra and the bandurria, among others. This process of adaptation has shaped my global view of the bandola, in dialogue with different musical traditions. Thanks to this, I have been able to premiere new works written for the instrument and to tour Colombia giving concerts.
I have been a soloist in ten concerts of the Music Section of the Banco de la República (2022–2026), with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia (2021) and with the Orquesta Juvenil de Cámara of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá (2022). I am now continuing this work in the Master in Global Musics at Codarts in Rotterdam.
Videos
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PLENILUNIO
Plenilunio is an instrumental trio of Colombian Andean music, known for its versatility and artistic consistency. Winner of the Gran Premio Mono Núñez Instrumental 2024, the ensemble is made up of young musicians who combine a deep connection with traditional Colombian and Latin American repertoire with a contemporary approach to chamber music.
The trio has won major national competitions such as the Festival Hatoviejo Cotrafa, the Festival Nacional del Pasillo and the Concurso “Ciudad de Cajicá”, and has received special awards for best bandola player and best tiple player at the Festival Mono Núñez. In 2024 it was selected for the Serie de los Jóvenes Intérpretes of the Banco de la República and recorded its first album, Lunios, at the Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango. Plenilunio continues to expand the Colombian musical tradition through new work, research and concerts across Colombia.
Listen · Lunios (2025)
Photos
Photos: Juan Pablo Rodríguez · BaudaLab
Videos
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Brayan Ruiz & David Valencia
Bandola and guitar
The duo of Brayan Ruiz (bandola) and David Valencia (guitar) began in 2025 as a space for exploring sound, built on instrumental dialogue, virtuosity and musical sensitivity. The two musicians, who have worked together on various projects since 2020, joined forces to reinterpret traditional Latin American repertoire through their own arrangements and a contemporary approach. In 2026 the duo was selected for the Serie de los Jóvenes Intérpretes of the Banco de la República.
Their music combines the bright, versatile sound of the bandola with the harmonic richness of the guitar, with room for improvisation and an equal artistic partnership. The duo aims to build an original repertoire for this format, contributing to the creation, circulation and reach of Colombian and Latin American music today.
Photos
Photos: Sofia Vargas · Juan Pablo Rodríguez
Videos
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Featured collaborations
Filarmónica de Música Colombiana
Created in 2020 by the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá, the Filarmónica de Música Colombiana is an artistic and educational project directed by Jorge Andrés Arbeláez. Made up of young performers, it plays traditional Colombian Andean repertoire on both conventional and alternative stages, strengthening the teaching and promotion of this music in the city.
Orquesta Colombiana de Bandolas
The Orquesta Colombiana de Bandolas, conducted by maestro Fabián Forero Valderrama, explores the orchestral format of the Andean bandola family: soprano, alto, baritone/bass and contrabass. Made up of university teachers and students, it performs Colombian, Latin American and classical repertoire, with a focus on research and on the sound of the instrument in contemporary settings.
