César Villamil

César Villamil completed his musical studies at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia, obtaining a degree in Music with an emphasis on Saxophone and a master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting from the National University of Colombia. He studied saxophone under the guidance of professors Antonio Arnedo, Leonardo Camacho, and actively participated in workshops and masterclasses with professors such as Philippe Ortega, Tilmann Dehnhard, Paquito d’Rivera, Peter Weniger, and Philippe Portejoie, who served as his tutor for his graduation recital. As an instrumentalist, he was the principal saxophonist of the Youth Symphonic Band of Cundinamarca and is currently a guest musician with the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia.

He has been a member of various chamber music groups, including the Quintet and Saxophone Quartet of the Pontificia
Universidad Javeriana, participating in the World Band Festival held in Taubaté, Brazil, the saxophone quartet of professor Felipe Tartabull, Saxosax Quartet, and the Paisax Quintet.

As the director of Ensamble Colombia (saxophone and percussion quartet), he has participated in international events such as the third Saxophone Festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2008, the International Saxophone Festival at UNAM in Mexico, PERUSAX, and has twice won the best chamber group award in the competition organized by the Banco de la República during the concert series at the Luis Ángel Arango Library.

Awards:

• First place in the Jazz Festival Tower Records with the group Coda Jazz

• Winner of the Roberto Mantilla competition, granting him the privilege of performing as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia

• Second place in the First National Saxophone Competition Philippe Portejoie in the professional-soloist category

• Champion of the international saxophone competition Perusax 2011 in the chamber music category and second place as a soloist in the Jazz- popular category

• As director of the NPVG ensemble, champion of the first national chamber music competition in the advanced category – Camareando 2019

Currently, he is a member of the saxophone quartet CAOVVA, composed of the most prominent saxophone educators in Colombia. With them, he has participated in the World Saxophone Congress SAX OPEN held in Strasbourg, France, in 2015, the World Saxophone Congress in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2018, and as special guests at the 40th Saxophone Symposium at George Mason University in Washington in 2018. As a performer with the symphonic band of the Salesian Work of the Child Jesus, he was runner-up in the international symphonic band competition in Valencia, Spain, and champion in Kerkrade, Netherlands, the most important symphonic band competition worldwide, obtaining the highest score of the event. He has been the conductor of the Symphonic Bands of the Javeriana University, Distrital University, National University, Facatativá, and Cundinamarca.

As a teacher, he has taught saxophone at the University of Cundinamarca, Antonio Nariño University, National University of Colombia, and is currently an adjunct professor at the Javeriana University and a full-time professor at the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas.