I currently live in Basel, a city that allows me to enjoy one of the things I love most about my profession: the opportunity to take part in a wide variety of inspiring musical projects. From chamber music in small ensembles, ranging from duos to octets, to solo performances and collaborations with different ensembles and orchestras across Switzerland, including Camerata Bern, Sinfonietta Bern, Orchestra Aurea and City Lights Symphony Orchestra, among many others.
But my story with the viola began much further away, in Madrid, my hometown. There, I was incredibly lucky to begin my musical studies at the Joaquín Turina Conservatory, under the guidance of the wonderful teacher Ignacio González.
After finishing my studies at the conservatory, and following a brief excursion into university life, where I began studying Environmental Sciences, there came a moment when I became obsessed with music and simply couldn’t do anything else but dedicate myself to it 100%.
That was when I moved to San Sebastián to study at Musikene, a wonderful Conservatory where I studied with the brilliant violist David Quiggle and fell in love with chamber music thanks to teachers such as Andoni Mercero and Gabriel Loidi, both of whom played a fundamental role in that journey.
After completing my studies, I spent a year in Berlin. I learned from teachers such as Gernot Adrion and Diemut Poppen, and listened to an average of five incredible concerts every week. It was an experience that undoubtedly became an important part of my musical education.
I then moved to Leipzig to complete a Master’s degree in Performance, where I somehow managed to survive the teachings of Professor Tatjana Masurenko.
In 2013, I finally moved to Basel to study with the inspiring and wonderful teacher Silvia Simionescu, who opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me. There, I was also able to continue growing as a chamber musician alongside incredible colleagues and teachers.
All of this is complemented by experiences that have left a particularly important mark on my journey: countless courses and festivals throughout Spain; entire summers in the United States, at the Heifetz Institute, learning from teachers such as Patinka Kopec and the magical Martha Katz; countless encounters and tours with my beloved JONDE (Spanish National Youth Orchestra) and the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra; and appearances at chamber music festivals such as the Festival Turina in Seville and the Mondoñedo Chamber Music Festival.
All these experiences have taken me around the world, allowed me to discover incredible places and, above all, given me the chance to share stages, projects and countless hours of music with extraordinary musicians and friends.
Each of them has left its own small mark on the musician I am today. And the journey continues: every new project, every encounter and every experience I have keeps adding something to this journey and shaping the musician I am still becoming.
M. Bruch: Double Concerto with Sophie Arnold, conductor Flurin Ruedlinger and the orchestra l’accompagnamento.
Spanish and Latin American music with Ernesto Mayhuire
F. Schubert: Quintet with two cellos with Ola Sendecki, Simone Strohmeier, Lukas Raaflaub und Alina Müller
With Camerata Bern and Patricia Kopatchinskaja at the Menuhin Festival Gstaad. Foto: M. Borggreve
F.A.Hoffmeister: Viola Concerto with Ensemble Fugitiv in Bern.
C. Guastavino: Guitar Quintet with Fraynni Rui, Irene Benito, Ernesto Mayhuire and Santiago Bernal.
With Camerata Bern and Ilya Gringolts at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.
