Born: Talca, Chile, April 10, 1947; Canadian Citizen

Languages: Spanish; English

Awards:
Latin American Achievement Award, 2003. Hispanic Community.
Music Artist of the Year Award, 2003. Hispanic Community.
Hispanic Community Citation for Commitment to Latin American Art and
Culture, 1989.

Education:
Trebas Institute for the Recording Arts. Audio Engineering Technology. Toronto, 1993-94.
School of Theatre Instruction, University of Chile, 1968.
School of Theatre (acting), University of Chile, 1969-73.

Professional Experience in Chile:
Department of Theatre and Folklore, National Institute of Agrarian Development, Instructor, Actor, 1965-67.
Department of Theatre, University of Chile: Actor with University Theatre Company, 1970-73.
Director of Department of Culture of National Federation of Students, 1967-70.
Coordinator of Cultural Activities, office of the Secretary General of the Republic of Chile, 1971.
Professor of Theatre, University of Talca, 1974-75.

Productions: Bertold Brecht: The Exception and the Rule and Herr Puntila and his Servant, Matti: Shakespeare: As You Like It and Comedy of Errors; Jaime
Silva, The Gospel According to Jaime; Pablo Neruda, Splendour and Death of Jaoquin Murieta.

Immigration to Canada, 1976.

Professional Experience in Canada:

Grants:
Canada Council Explorations Grant, 1985 for musical recording of JourneyOf Molito.
Canada Council Artists’ Grant 1987.

Theatre:
Splendour and Death of Jaoquin Murieta, Open Circle Theatre1977: actor, Percussionist, and one of composers of score.
Where is the Voice Coming From, Rudy Wiebe, & Flashbacks of Tomorrow, Nightwood Theatre, 1978/ 1981(actor, percussionist, composer).
Victor Jara and The Last Hero, Toronto Workshop Productions, 1984/1985(actor,
percussionist).
Playing for Keeps, Theatre Passe Muraille, 1986; Tourists and Refugees, Mixed
Company, 1986.
Voice-over/ actor for CBC radio news/ documentaries

Coordinator of Musical Groups:
Compañeros, 1979-82. Percussionist and music director; toured throughout Canada and the Northern U.S. ;participated in most of the major folk festivals.
Percussionist with Grupo Taller, 1983; Andén Sur, 1983; Rio Grande, 1984.
Artistic Director, Founder: Grupo Synthesis, 1984.
Artistic Director, Founder: Maiz Verde, 1985-87. Performances include Maya Programme, Royal Ontario Museum, 1986; Arts Ag. Apartheid Royal Alexandra Theatre May 1986; Inter-Hispanic Fiesta , CNE 1986; Expo’86 (Vancouver

Discography:
Compañeros , Blazing Frontiers, 1979; Maiz Verde, 1985.

Founder of The HeadRoom Recording Studio, 1993.
Specialists in Canadian, Latin American, Caribbean and African music.

Production Work Includes CDs by:
Grupo Taller, The Journey, 1995-96. Canada
Junior Santos, Soy Yo, 1995. Canada; República Dominicana
Tension, We Hate…Destroy, 1996. Canada; Scotland
Da, Sarava Criolla, 1996. Canada; Brazil
Richard Meek, Legends and Ghost Tales of Old Georgian Bay, 1996. Canada.
Dahlin Kwame Sarpong, Megye Mani, 1996. Ghana; Africa
Casma, Empelota, 1997. Canada.
Laura María, Homenaje a Tu Amor,1997. Canada; El Salvador
Musical Reflections: El Condor Pasa: The Music of South America, arranged by
Henry Lopez (Enriquez), 1998. Canada; U.S.A.
Aconcaugua, Latin Jazz, 1998. Canada
Jackie Hilton, Kiss in the Sky, 1998. Canada; Jamaica
Bita Nascimento, Africa, 1998. Canada.
Connector, Explosive, 1998. Trinidad & Tobago.
Ernesto Espinoza, The Other, 1999. Canada.
Rick & Sly McIntosh, Walk Away from Love, 1999. Sta. Lucia
Giovanni Ruiz, Latin American Classics, 1999. Canada.
Casava, Latin Rhythms, 1999. Canada.
EP, Terry Meets Julie, 1999. England.
Marcelo Puente, Marés y Barrios, 1999. Canada; Chile.
Zaffi Gousopoulos, The Queen of Canada, 1999. Canada; Greece.
Bruce Jones, Patagonia, 2000. Brazil.
Jorge Estrada Loprz, Esto es Guatemala !En Marimba Pura!, 2000. Guatemala.
King Cosmos, Fire, 2000. Trinidad.
Dino Salinas, La Paz Quiero Yo, 2000. U.S.A.
Caché, 2001. Canada.
Evaristo Machado, 2002. Cuba; Canada
Julio Cesar, 2002. Canada; Cuba.
HarperCollins Publishers Magalog, 1999 to 2003
Jorge Campos, Machi, 2004. Chile.
Angel Mauricio Leiva, 2004. Canada.
Lucho y Juan Diego De Sedas, 2005. Canada; Panama.
D’Talle, 2005. Cuba.
Master O, 2005.

The HeadRoom Productions Canada represents the following artists:

Santerias (Canada); Congresso (Chile); Azul Najuel (Chile); Son de Madera (Mexico); Lucho Y Juan Diego De Seda (Panama); Rukanas (Peru); Maiz Verde (Canada); Mahlasela (South Africa); Son Aché (Canada); Wild T. (Canada; Jamaica); Jorge Campos (Chile).

Film Work:

Juan Opitz has written the musical scores for:
Music for Three Beats to a Bar, Theatre Passe Muraille, 1984
Music for Documentary, Witness to War: Dr. Charlie Clemente, Skylight
Productions, New York, 1984. Won Oscar for best documentary, 1985.
Music for El Salvador, with text by Carolyn Forché, PBS, USA, 1984.
Music for Tango for Two Continents, CBC, 1986.
Music for Documentary George W. Vari for TFO/TV Ontario Profiles. 2003.

The HeadRoon has recorded sound and either composed or commissioned original music for:

Brenda Longfellow, director. Tina in Mexico: The Story of Tina Modotti. Bullfrog Films, 2002.

Carlos Valdivieso, director, The Two Cubas. Telezam Pictures, Magno, New York, U.S.A, 2005. (One hour documentary)

Leon Rooke: White Gloves of the Doorman. Produced by B. Gorjup; Directed Paola Marino, 2005. (58 minute documentary to accompany book of that title)

No Power Greater: How Autoworkers in Canada Built a Union and Made History, McMaster University. CAW/TCA, 2005. (CD ROM)

Also extensive work for filmmaker Glen Richards.

Produced and directed twenty-five minute documentary The Camargo Fellows, for Camargo Foundation, Cassis: 2005.

Produced and directed thirty-minute documentary, Le Marathon, for Le Centre Cultural de Cassis, 2005.

Work in Progress:

Juan Carlos Suarez, Los Balceros de Cuba (the Refugee Rafters). To be produced by the HeadRoom Studio.

Cassis: A one-hour film which shall be projected as a sound and light show in different venues of Cassis. Supported by Association des Propriétaires de Cassis.

The Road Out, short film to launch new book Villa Air-Bel: War, Escape and a House in France by Rosemary Sullivan (projected publication date September 2006)

El Camino al Olvido: a one-hour documentary film on the journey of refugees from Chile, Cuba, and France.