PROFESSOR BIOS
Juan Ferrer
Clarinet soloist of the Symphony Orchestra of Galicia. Professor at Forum Musikae in Madrid.
Born in Montserrat (Valencia), Juan Ferrer is one of the most versatile and active Spanish clarinetists of his generation. He is the first Spaniard to be part of the jury of the prestigious Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition, in addition to other international competitions such as those in Ghent (Belgium), Versailles (France), Taipei (Taiwan), Carlino (Italy), Oporto, Lisbon, Mexico, Costa Rica and multiple competitions in Spain. In all of them he has combined his role as a jury with recitals and master classes.
His pedagogical vocation has led him to train students from all over the world and to teach at universities in Europe, Asia and America. Since 2017, he has been an international guest professor at the Simón Bolívar Foundation (currently “El Sistema”) of Venezuela, participating in three annual meetings, work that continues until at least 2025.
He is an artist of the prestigious brands Buffet-Crampon París and Vandoren París, and since 1994 he has been the principal clarinet of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia (OSG). His activity as a soloist has led him to interpret works by Weber, Copland, Mozart, Debussy, Óscar Navarro and Pacho Flores – the latter dedicated a concert to him -, collaborating with orchestras such as the OSG, the Simón Bolívar Symphony, the Extremadura, Murcia, Wuppertal, Juan José Landaeta and the National de Paraguay symphonies, among others. He has also performed with symphonic bands such as the Royal Band of the Belgian Guides, and those from Bilbao and A Coruña.
Ferrer has offered chamber music concerts and recitals throughout Spain and in countries such as Russia, China, Taiwan, Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Brazil, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Argentina, among others. He has been a regular guest in orchestras such as the Radio de Leipzig, the Liceu de Barcelona, the Palau de les Arts de Valencia, the National Orchestra of Catalonia or the RTVE, collaborating with conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel, Lorin Maazel, Daniel Harding, Sir Neville Marriner, Osmo Vänskä, Gianandrea Noseda, Guennadi Rozdestvenski, Peter Maag, James Conlon, Jesús López Cobos, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Dima Slobodeniouk, Christoph Eschenbach, Klaus Mäkelä, Roberto González-Monjas, Juanjo Mena and Alberto Zedda, among many others.
He is currently a professor at the Escuela Superior Forum Musikae in Madrid, where he teaches Master’s, Undergraduate and Undergraduate classes in interpretation and research. He also works intensively with young musicians in formations such as the OSG Youth Orchestra, the Euskadi Symphony Orchestra, the Children’s Orchestra of Venezuela, Simón Bolívar, Juan José Landaeta, the National Youth Orchestra of Catalonia and the Canary Islands Youth Orchestra.
He has given master classes in Spain, France, China, Taiwan, Italy, Portugal, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Belgium and Russia, among other countries.
In the recording field, he has recorded an album with the pianist Daniel del Pino with works dedicated specifically to him by renowned composers such as Salvador Brotons, Fernando Buide, Eduardo Soutullo, Karolis Biveinis, Octavio Vázquez, Wladimir Rosinskij and Juan Durán.
José Luis Estellés
Conductor, clarinetist and teacher (Musikene and chamber music teacher at the HfMT in Cologne)
He develops an intense artistic activity that combines the facets of orchestra conductor, clarinetist and teacher. He has performed as a guest soloist with more than thirty orchestras and ensembles, and as a chamber musician in important halls and festivals in the United States, Mexico, Japan and throughout Europe, together with prestigious quartets and soloists.
Among his most outstanding collaborations are string quartets such as Orpheus, Casals, Enesco, Artis-Wien, Delian, Modigliani, Kuss, Arriaga, Yokohama, Kelemen, Jousia, Arditti or Diotima. He has also worked with renowned pianists such as Sergey Babayan, Josep Colom, Gustavo Díaz-Jerez, Peter Donohoe, Julius Drake, Bengt Forsberg, Balázs Fülei, Juan Carlos Garvayo, Pavel Gililov, Ralf Gothóni, Itamar Guttman, among others.
As a guest soloist he has collaborated with conductors such as Swensen, Andretta, Marcon, Nesterowicz, Encinar, Pons, Colomer, Foss, Griffiths, Kantorow, Mena, Kalmar, Tabachnik, Martínez, Tchitchinadze and Davin. He has played with orchestras such as those of Asturias, Bilbao, Extremadura, Valencia, Granada, Salzburg, Sinfonia Varsovia, Community of Madrid, la JONDE, London Soloists, I Solisti di Perugia, Britten Sinfonia, among many others.
He was the founder of ensembles such as the Manon Group and TAiMAgranada, and is currently a member of the Fin du Temps ensemble.
As a conductor he has performed in Spain, England, Belgium, Germany, France, Bulgaria and Mexico, often in the role of conductor-soloist.
In the pedagogical field, he has left a deep mark on several generations of musicians in Spain. Since 2001 he has been a clarinet teacher at Musikene, where he also held the position of Artistic Director and Director of Orchestral Studies. Since 2021, he has been a professor of chamber music at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne (Germany). He has also taught at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, the Codarts Conservatory in Rotterdam, the University of Alcalá de Henares and the Superior Conservatory of Music in Oviedo.
He is regularly invited as a jury in important international competitions such as the ARD in Munich and the Aeolus in Düsseldorf.
You play Meijide
Bass clarinet soloist and clarinetist of the Coruña Municipal Band
He was born in Lalín (Galicia). He studied with Orentino Sueiro, Joan Enric Lluna, José Luis Estellés, Nancy Braytwaite and Henri Bok. He has a degree in clarinet from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and from the Rotterdam Conservatory (CODARTS), as well as a master’s degree in clarinet performance from the University of A Coruña and a postgraduate degree in clarinet and bass clarinet from CODARTS.
He is considered one of the best Galician clarinet and bass clarinet soloists, having won several international competitions, such as the Barcelona International Music Forum Competition, the first prize of the jury and the audience in the DeLink Chamber Music Competition (Netherlands), and the first prize in the Henri Selmer Bass Clarinet Competition in the Netherlands.
On a professional level, he has been invited by the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and the National Orchestra of Catalonia, the Young National Orchestra of Spain (JONDE), the Galicia Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic of Galicia, the Oviedo Philharmonic and the Chamber Orchestra of Galicia.
As a soloist, he has played with the Symphony Orchestra of Galicia, the Chamber Orchestra of Galicia, the Santiago Municipal Band, the Coruña Municipal Band, the Lalín Band, the Valladares Band and the Silleda Band, among others. It has been presented at the Auditorio Nacional de Madrid, L’Auditori de Barcelona, La Pedrera de Barcelona, and in countries such as Cuba, Argentina, France, Portugal, Belgium, Holland and China. He also participated in festivals such as the Galicia Clarinet Fest, Cameralia, the International Music Festival of Galicia and Imagina Sons.
In the teaching field, he is a professor at the University of Miño in Braga (Portugal) and at the International Academy of Galicia. He is also the artistic director of the Galicia Clarinet Fest and has given master classes in Guimarães and in various courses in Galicia, such as Bandeira, Valladares, Merza, Lalín, Ferrol, Viveiro and Redondela.
Michelle Anderson
Professional clarinetist and teacher
Emilio Alonso Espasandín
Soloist of the Orchester National de Cannes since 2019
Emilio Alonso Espasandín, born in A Coruña in 1989, is an outstanding Galician clarinetist, recognized for his versatile and dynamic career. He is currently a relevant figure in the orchestral, soloist, chamber music and pedagogical fields.
He began his studies with Jesús López and graduated with top marks at the CSM in A Coruña. He later completed a master’s degree at ESMAE (Oporto) under the tutelage of Professor António Saiote. At the same time, he perfected his training with Beatriz López and Juan Ferrer, also receiving valuable advice from internationally renowned clarinetists such as Arno Piters, Eric Hoeprich (historical clarinet), Wenzel Fuchs and Andrew Marriner.
Awarded in numerous competitions, Emilio was awarded the Paideia Foundation Musical Excellence Award in 2011 and the First Prize of the José Valcárcel Competition in 2012. His international exposure led him to obtain other awards, such as the 3rd Prize in Czech Clarinet Art (2014), 2nd Prize in the Bal y Gay International Competition (2017) and finalist in Jeunesses Musicales Belgrado (2012).
As a soloist, he has performed concerts by Mozart, Weber, Françaix, Nielsen and Kosmicki with formations such as Camerata Serbica, Orchester National de Cannes, Real Filharmonía de Galicia, Banda Municipal de Santiago de Compostela, Orquesta Gaos and Orchester de la Marine Nationale.
Much in demand as an orchestral musician, Emilio has accumulated almost two decades of professional experience. In recent years he has collaborated as guest principal clarinet with the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, the Euskadi Orchestra and the Castilla y León Symphony Orchestra. He stands out for his versatility both in bass clarinet and, especially, in requinto, regularly collaborating with orchestras such as the Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Orchester National de Lille, Opéra de Toulon, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Sinfónica de RTVE, Sinfónica de Galicia and Real Filharmonía de Galicia, where he was co-principal clarinet (2014–2015).
Since 2019 he has been living on the French Riviera, where he is currently a soloist with the Orchester National de Cannes.
Passionate about chamber music, Emilio is well known for his duet with the pianist Gabriel López, with whom he recorded his first CD in 2012, dedicated to the repertoire of the 20th century. His interpretations of Mozart and Brahms quintets have been highlighted in collaborations with the Zemlinsky Quartet, Cuarteto Rosalía and St George String Quartet. He is currently part of the clarinet quartet D’Azûr and regularly collaborates in chamber projects with his ONCannes colleagues.
Committed to teaching, he has given courses and lectures in Spain, France, Portugal, the Netherlands and Hungary. He has also been a guest professor at the Escuela de Altos Estudios Musicales de Galicia (EAEM).
Emilio is a Yamaha Artist.
Alicia Gonzalez Permuy
Accompanying pianist at the Conservatory of Music of A Coruña
Born in Lalín (Pontevedra), Alicia González Permuy began her piano and violin studies at the age of seven. In 1995 he entered the Escuela Superior de Música de Barcelona, where he trained with Albert Attenelle in piano and Jordi Mora in chamber music. At the same time, he participated in courses with renowned teachers such as Irina Zariskaya, Manuel Carra, Almudena Cano and Josep Colom.
In 1999 he obtained a scholarship from the Provincial Council of A Coruña to continue his studies at the Brabants Conservatory in Tilburg (Holland), with Ton Demmers (piano) and Jan Gruithuyzen (chamber music), graduating in 2002 with special mention Summa Cum Laude . He later expanded his training with Jan Wijn and Eugen Indjic.
Throughout her career, she has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 3rd Prize in the III “Ciudad de Segovia” Competition (1994), the Honorary Prize at the End of Middle School (Lalín, 1996), the “Graduado en Pianoforte” Diploma from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London (1996), the 3rd Prize in the XII Berga International Piano Competition (1997), the Honorary Prize and End of Career in A Coruña (2001) and Postgraduate and Master’s Diploma in Tilburg (2002).
His work as an accompanist pianist stands out, collaborating in master classes with reference clarinetists such as Joan Enric Lluna, Michael Harris or José Luis Estellés. He has worked with important orchestras such as the Galicia Symphony Orchestra, the Granada City Orchestra and the Bilbao Symphony, performing in renowned venues such as the Vienna Musikverein, the Kölner Philharmonie and the Madrid National Auditorium, under the baton of conductors such as Michail Jurowski, Jesús López Cobos and Ton Koopman.
As a soloist, he has given recitals in prominent spaces such as L’Auditori de Barcelona and the Auditorio Manuel de Falla in Granada, as well as performing in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and France. He began his career as a soloist with the Orkest del Conservatorium de Brabants and has performed as a soloist with the Galician Symphony Orchestra, recording for RNE in 2005.
He is currently an accompanying pianist at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de A Coruña and collaborates regularly with the Symphony Orchestra of Galicia, combining his teaching work with intense concert activity as a soloist and in chamber music.
Josep Fuster
Soloist in the Barcelona and National Symphony Orchestras of Catalonia and professor at ESMUC.
Born in Villanueva de Castellón (Valencia), he studied at the Superior Conservatories of Valencia and Barcelona with professors V. Romero, J. Talens Sebastià, J. Panyella and J. Tordera.
He has been a professor of clarinet and chamber music at the Escuela Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC) since the year of its creation, and at the Barcelona and National Symphony Orchestra of Catalonia (OBC) since 1993.
He has been a guest in different symphony orchestras (Orquesta Nacional de España, New American Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica del Gran Teatro del Liceo, Orquesta de Cámara del Teatre Lliure, Orquesta Camerata Mediterránea, Orquesta de Cadaqués, Orquesta Nacional de Cámara de Andorra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife), with which he has participated in concert tours in Germany, France, Holland, Italy, the United States and Japan.
In the field of chamber music, he is co-founder of the groups Harmonia Quintet de Vent, Barcelona 216, Diabolus in Musica, Trio Cervelló, Sahan Pillai (viola), Enrique Bagaria (piano) and Kammart Ensemble. His extensive career in this field has led to collaboration with numerous groups and performers of recognized prestige, such as the Glinka Quartet, Quiroga Quartet, Orpheus Quartet, Solistas de Ibercàmera and the pianists Albert Atenelle, Eulàlia Solé, Xavier Dolç, Àngel Puig, Astrid Steinschaden and Dolors Cano, among others.
With Isabel Hernández (piano), he has recorded the CDs Virtuoso music for clarinet and piano , vol. I, II, III and IV, the two Brahms Sonatas, and Homage to Weber and Rossini .
He has also recorded the complete work for clarinet by the composer Jesús Rodríguez Picó. He has premiered the Quintet de la Sala de Llevant for clarinet and string quartet, by Xavier Benguerel; Concert clarinet by Jordi Cervelló; Concerto for clarinet “Luces del Alba” by Zulema de la Cruz; and Fantasia for clarinet, strings and small percussion by Juan Medina, works that have been dedicated to him.
He has made different recordings for Catalunya Música, RNE, Radio France and Radio Holandesa, as well as for the record labels Hyades Arts, Stradivarius, Ediciones Moraleda, Anacrusi Contemporánea, Columna Música and Ars Harmonica.
His two recordings of the clarinet quintets and string quartets by Mozart, Weber, Krommer, Bärmann, Spohr and Reicha with the Glinka Quartet have received the highest praise from international critics.
Josep Fuster is an artist from Backun and BG.
Manuel Martinez
Clarinet soloist Barcelona Municipal Band and member of the Barcelona Clarinet Playerses.
Recognized for his technical skill and musical versatility, Manuel Martínez has left his mark as a soloist in prestigious venues such as the Muddy Concert Hall in Dallas, the Murchinson Arts Performing Center in Denton, the Abbot Concert Hall in Wisconsin and the Teatro de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.
Committed to the promotion of band music, he is immersed in a series of 12 premieres composed especially for him, which will be presented in the coming seasons together with groups from all over the world.
In addition, as an interdisciplinary artist, he has conceived the show Sonoro Infinito , where he uses technology to explore new sounds, challenging the capabilities of his instrument.
He regularly collaborates with internationally renowned composers such as Arturo Márquez, Bernat Vivancos, Joan Magrané, Nubia Jaime-Donjuan, Ernesto Aurignac and José María Sánchez-Verdú.
As an orchestra musician, he has performed with prominent groups such as the SWR Symphony Orchestra (Stuttgart), Les Dissonances (France), MúsicAeterna (Russia) and the Utopia Orchestra, directed by Teodor Currentzis, with whom he regularly performs recordings and tours.
Since 2008, he has been living in Barcelona, where he works as a solo clarinetist in the Banda Municipal de Barcelona and as a member of the famous quartet Barcelona Clarinet Players.
Manuel plays Henri Selmer Paris clarinets and uses Vandoren products in his professional performance.
David Fiuza
Headmaster of the Gran Canaria Wind Ensemble, the Galician Symphony Band and the Lugo Municipal Band
Born in Vila de Cruces in 1985, he began his musical studies at the Banda Artística de Merza. He has a Superior Degree in Clarinet from the Superior Conservatory of Music of Vigo, a Superior Degree in Orchestra and Choir Conducting from the Superior Conservatory of Music in Valencia, and a Superior Bachelor Degree in Band Conducting from HMZ Maastricht. He has also completed higher studies in composition at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Vigo.
In his training as a clarinetist he has participated in courses and masterclasses with prominent teachers such as Vicente Alberola, Joan Enric Lluna, Arno Piters, Walter Boeykens, Eric Hoeprich, Juan Ferrer and Antonio Saiote, among others. In 2009 he won the First Prize in the 1st Competition of Young Performers “Musical Youth” held in Sober.
He has played with formations such as the Vigo 430 Symphony Orchestra, the EAEM Orchestra, the Municipal Band of Pontevedra and the Galician Philharmonic Band.
He began his conducting studies at the age of 15 under the tutelage of maestro Marcel van Bree, continuing his training mainly with Jan Cober and JR Pascual-Vilaplana. He has been principal director of numerous groups, including the Banda Unión Musical de Meaño (2007-2013), the Symphonic Band “La Armónica” of Buñol (2013-2017), the Mallorca Saxophone Ensemble (2013-2017), the Cor Valencià de Clarinets (2015-2016), the Band of the Galician Federation of Popular Music Bands (2016-2017), the Artistic Band of Merza (2017-2019), the Lalín Band (2019-2021) and the Santiago de Compostela Municipal Band (2021-2024).
He has conducted as guest conductors such as the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, the Municipal Bands of Madrid, A Coruña, Palma de Mallorca and Pontevedra, the Rundfunk Bläserorchester Leipzig, the Norwegian Wind Ensemble, the Royal Philharmonic of Galicia, the Symphony Orchestra of the Companhía Portuguesa da Ópera, the Guimarães Orchestra, the Pontevedra Symphony Orchestra and the “La Armónica” Orchestra of Buñol, in addition to various groups symphonic and chamber music in Galicia, Portugal, Catalonia and the Valencian Community. He regularly participates in educational projects as director of groups.
He is currently director of the Gran Canaria Wind Ensemble (since 2016), of the Galician Symphony Band (since 2022) and of the Municipal Band of Lugo (since 2024).
