[2] He graduated in Philosophy from the Universidad de Chile and held numerous academic posts in various schools of higher learning in his country.
Prominent in his repertoire for vocalists are the cantata Santa María de Iquique (a milestone of the New Chilean Song movement), the Canto para una Semilla (Song for a Seed) based on poems by Violeta Parra (recorded by Inti-illimani, Isabel Parra and Carmen Bunster), and a symphony, Los Tres Tiempos de América, which was premiered and recorded in 1988 by Quilapayún with the Spanish singer Paloma San Basilio and an orchestra of Spanish musicians.
Among his last projects was an arrangement for Del Salón al Cabaret la Belle Epoque Chilena (From the Saloon to the Cabaret the Chilean Belle Epoque) - this was a theatrical, musical and choreographic recreation of styles of that era, which involved 70 musicians and actors from the Escuela de Teatro de la Pontificia Universidad Católica(Theatrical School of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile); it was recorded in 2002.
In his final days he completed an oratorio titled La Pampa del Tamarugal, which has not yet premiered.
Advis recognized the importance of popular-folk music when he began to listen to Violeta Parra.