About

Caio Facó is a Brazilian composer and educator based in the Kingdom of Bahrain. His work explores the relationship between sound, memory and identity, investigating how musical ideas transform through encounters between cultures, traditions and different ways of listening.

His compositions unfold at the threshold between sound and gesture, where music becomes a space for dialogue across cultures, materials and temporalities. Drawing from contemporary concert music, Brazilian cultural heritage and experiences in the Gulf region, his work explores sound as a physical and expressive force.

In recent years, living in Bahrain has profoundly reshaped his musical language, drawing his practice toward questions of memory and displacement. His current projects explore encounters between traditional instruments and contemporary compositional practices, with a particular focus on the Arabic Oud. His most recent works, Neither of the East nor of the West and Uncarved Block, place the oud in a dialogue with electronics and synthesizers, demonstrating a persistent interest in establishing environments where diverse musical traditions intersect and develop.

His music has been performed internationally by leading ensembles and soloists, including the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (Brazil), International Contemporary Ensemble (USA), Mivos Quartet (USA), Ensemble MPMP (Portugal), Ensemble CEPROMUSIC (Mexico) and the Chamber Orchestra of Valdivia (Chile). His collaborations with performers such as violinist Emmanuele Baldini and flutist Jiajia Li have further shaped his approach to instrumental writing as a space of discovery.

“Facó is one of the most prominent Brazilian composers contributing to contemporary classical music.”

Instrumental Verves

He holds a PhD in Music from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). His academic experience includes teaching positions at Brazilian universities such as the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) and the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC), as well as his current position as Assistant Professor of Music and Sound Design at Bahrain Polytechnic University, where he teaches composition, music for media and sound design.

His work has been recognized through international competitions, grants and artistic programs, including the Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa (Portugal), the International Composition Competition (Bosnia and Herzegovina), the Tinta Fresca Award (Brazil) and the Ibermúsicas (Ibero-America).

His works, recordings and projects are available throughout this website. He welcomes opportunities for collaboration, performances, commissions, research and artistic dialogue.