PROFESSOR BIOS
José Franch-Ballester
Professor of clarinet and chamber music at the “University of British Columbia” in Vancouver
Biography and Studies
He was born in Moncofa, Spain, into a family of musicians. He began his clarinet studies at the age of nine with Venancio Rius. He completed his higher studies at the Joaquín Rodrigo Conservatory of Music in Valencia and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia (United States), where he studied with Donald Montanaro and Ricardo Morales.
About Him
José Franch-Ballester is recognized as one of the most outstanding clarinetists and pedagogues of his generation. He has been praised for his technical skill and inexhaustible dedication, as described by The New York Times, and for his subtle and consummate artistry, as cited by the Santa Barbara Independent.
Awards
His career has been distinguished with awards such as the “Young Artist of The Year” at the MIDEM Awards in Cannes, France; the “Avery Fisher Career Grant” in 2008 in New York; First Prize in the contests “Young Concert Artists” in 2004 in New York and “Astral Artists” 2004 in Philadelphia.
Teaching and Orchestral Career
Currently, he combines his work as a professor of clarinet and chamber music at the “University of British Columbia” in Vancouver, Canada, with his concert tours and master classes around the world. He frequently collaborates with “The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center” in New York and serves as principal clarinetist of the Camerata Pacifica in Santa Barbara, United States.
soloist
Franch-Ballester has performed as a soloist with renowned orchestras, such as the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Radio Televisión Española Symphony Orchestra, the Valencia Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, the City of London Symphony Orchestra, the Principality of Asturias, the National Youth Orchestra of Spain, among others.
Recordings
He has recorded for record labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Armonia Mundi, Itinerant Classics and Warner Music.
Franch-Ballester is sponsored by Backun Musical Services and Legere Reeds.
Juan Ferrer
Clarinet soloist of the Symphony Orchestra of Galicia. Professor at Forum Musikae in Madrid.
About Him
Juan Ferrer (Montserrat, Valencia) is one of the most versatile and active Spanish clarinetists of his generation and the first Spaniard to be part of the juries of the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Ghent in Belgium, Versailles (France), Competition for Asia and Oceania in Taipei (Taiwan), Carlino (Italy) in which he also offered recitals and master classes, a pedagogical work he develops with students from all over the world and from universities in Europe and Asia. Recently this activity was endorsed by the invitation to participate as an international teacher of the Simón Bolívar Foundation, (Currently El Sistema) with three annual meetings that begin with the 2017-18 season and will continue (On Line) in the years 2020 and 2021 due to the global Pandemic.
Orchestral career
Artist of the Buffet-Crampon Paris and Vandoren Paris brand, Ferrer is part of the OSG (Orquesta Sinfónica De Galicia), of which he is principal clarinet – since 1994, although his activity as a performer has led him to offer concerts as a soloist. (Weber1-2, Copland, Mozart, Debussy, Oscar Navarro, etc..) With Symphony Orchestras, Symphonic Bands, Chamber Music Concerts and recitals in Russia, China, Taiwan, Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Brazil, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Argentina, throughout Spain, Asia, Europe and America
He was a regular guest of the Leipzig Radio Orchestra, the Barcelona Liceu Orchestra, the Palau de les Arts de Valencia, the National Orchestra of Catalonia and the RTVE Orchestra among many others and worked under the orders of some of the most prestigious batons: Gustavo Dudamel , Lorin Maazel, Daniel Harding, Sir Neville Marriner, Osmo Vänska, Guennadi Rozdestvenski, Peter Maag, James Conlon, Jesús López Cobos, Stanislaw Scrowaczewski, Dima Slobodeniouk, Gian Andrea Noseda, Christoph Eschenbach, Alberto Zedda, Juanjo Mena among many others.
teaching
Invited by juries from all over the world, Juan Ferrer is also Professor of OSG Alfonso Young, Euskadi Youth Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Symphony of Catalonia, Canary Islands Youth Orchestra… In addition, he often gives master classes in Spain, France, China, Taiwan, Italy, Portugal, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Belgium, Russia, Argentina, as well as participating as a Spanish artist in six editions of the Iberoamerican Academy of Clarinet in Castelo de Paiva (Portugal).
He has just recorded an album with the pianist Daniel Del Pino with works dedicated to him by internationally renowned authors: Salvador Brotóns, Fernado 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)
About Him
He develops a wide artistic activity in which he combines the facets of orchestral conductor, clarinetist and teacher. José Luis Estellés 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 US. USA, Mexico, Japan and all of Europe with prestigious quartets and soloists. In recent times, these musical collaborations include string quartets such as Orpheus, Casals, Enesco, Artis-Wien, Delian, Modigliani, Kuss, Arriaga, Yokohama, Kelemen, Jousia, Arditti or Diotima, and with pianists such as Sergey Babayan, Colom, Díaz -Jerez, Donohoe, Drake, Forsberg, Fülei, Garvayo, Gililov, Gothóni, Gutman, Hakkila, Ituarte, Ivaldi, Jokubaviciute, Kanno, Koella, Madzar, Martínez-Mehner, Moretti, Nebolsin, Okazaki, Palko, Perianes, Riera, Rosado , Salvato, Sigfridsson, Spiri, Tchetuev and Zabaleta.
soloist
As a guest soloist, he has performed in collaboration with conductors Swensen, Andretta, Marcon, Nesterowicz, Encinar, Pons, Colomer, Foss, Griffiths, Kantorow, Mena, Kalmar, Tabachnik, Martínez, Tchitchinadze and Davin, among others, and with orchestras as diverse as Asturias, Bilbao, Extremadura, Valencia, Granada, Salzburg, Sinfonia Varsovia, Community of Madrid, JONDE, London Soloists, I Solisti di Perugia, Britten Sinfonia, etc. He was the founder of ensembles such as Grupo Manon, TAiMAgranada and is currently a member of “Fin du Temps”.
recordings
Radio and television stations such as UER, TVE, RNE Radio Clásica, France Musiques, RAI2, RF, ADR, SWR and DR broadcast their concerts. In addition, his CD recordings as a clarinetist have been published on the labels Turtle Records, Emergo Classics, Audiovisuais de Sarriá, Anacrosi, Verso, Kairos, Naxos, Komponisten Polyphonie and Ibs Classical, obtaining numerous awards in specialized magazines. He recorded Pablo Sorozábal’s only opera, ‘Juan José’ (‘Recording of great historical significance’ – CD Compact). Four CDs featuring world premiere recordings of works by Guridi, Pablo, Lazkano, Edler and Bordes, plus works by Mozart, Arriaga and Brahms/Schoenberg. He also dedicated recordings to the Spanish composers Juan José Colomer (Orquesta Ciudad de Granada / Luis González, Javier Bonet and Spanish Brass – Luur Metalls, for the label Verso-BBVA), and Salvador Bacarisse (Orquestra Filharmonica de Málaga / Trío Arbós) for the label Ibs Classical, awarded the ‘Golden Melómano’ from Melómano magazine. José-Luis also became an outstanding interpreter of new music. As a clarinetist, he premiered clarinet concerts by López López, Zavala and Soutullo, and works by Aracil, Camarero, Dorfman, Nordentoft, García Román, Lara, de Pablo, del Puerto, Rueda, Sánchez Verdú, Sanz-Burguete, Sotelo, Soutullo, Torres , Turina, Casablancas, Slava, Kortekangas, Santacreu, Urrutia, Vadillo, etc.
Conducting the Orchestra
As an orchestra conductor, José-Luis Estellés has performed in Spain, England, Belgium, Germany, France, Bulgaria and Mexico, also frequently as a conductor-soloist. He was Artistic Director of TAiMAgranada, and collaborated with soloists such as Ute Lemper, Mary Carewe, Tenebrae Vocal Soloists, Elisabeth Atherton, Spanish Brass, Trío Arbós, Ana Mª Sánchez and Katharina Rikus, and with orchestras such as Musikene, TAiMAgranada, Joven Orquesta Nacional de España , Ensemble Instrumenta Oaxaca, Barcelona 216, London Sinfonietta, Navarra Symphony Orchestra, City of Granada Orchestra, Extremadura Orchestra, Málaga Philharmonic, Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra and Orquestra de Valencia among others.
currently
Currently, José-Luis Estellés directs the MasterEnsemble of MSKN. He premiered works by the composers R. Lazkano, A. Conde, J. Cruz Guevara, J. Fernández Guerra, J. García Román, T. Garrido, S. Holt, H. Kozakura, F. Lara, N. Núñez Hierro, L. de Pablo and P. Sorozábal, and performed the first auditions in Spain of works by Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Magnus Lindberg, Sofía Gubaidulina, Simon Holt, Hans Werner Henze, Xenakis, Torres-Maldonado, Tansy Davies and Elena Kats-Chernin, among others . As an orchestral musician, he was a member of the Asturias Symphony Orchestra, clarinet soloist of the Granada City Orchestra from 1991 to 2021 and also collaborated with other Spanish formations, England, Belgium and Germany.
teaching
José Luis Estellés regularly gave master classes all over the world, leaving a transformative mark on several generations of musicians in Spain. He has been a clarinet teacher at Musikene since its creation in 2001, where he was also its Artistic Director and Director of Orchestral Studies. Since 2021 he has been a chamber music teacher at the HfMT in Cologne (Germany). In the past he was also linked as a teacher to the Sibelius Academy (Helsinki), the Codarts Conservatory – Rotterdam, the University of Alcalá de Henares and the Superior Music Conservatory of Oviedo. He is invited as a jury in important international competitions, such as the ARD (Munich) and the Aeolus (Düsseldorf).
Arno Piters
Clarinetist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and teacher at the Amsterdam Conservatory
Clarinetist and Educator
Born in 1980, Arno Piters studied clarinet and E-flat clarinet with Jan Cober and Willem Van Der Vuurst at the Maastricht Conservatory. He continued his training with George Pieterson at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, receiving the honorary diploma in both conservatories.
Orchestral experience
Piters was a member of the Netherlands National Youth Orchestra, the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and the European Union Youth Orchestra, where he performed under the direction of Pierre Boulez, Bernard Haitink and Vladimir Ashkenazy. He performed as a soloist with the Residentie Orchestra and the Nuremberg Symphony, among others.
Chamber music
As a chamber performer, he has performed at festivals in and outside the Netherlands with prominent musicians such as Janine Jansen, Mischa Maïsky, Daniel Hope and Rainer Schmitt.
Professional Career
Piters was a member of the Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra from 2001 to 2003. He was later appointed clarinetist and E-flat clarinetist of the Amsterdam Concertgebouworkest.
teaching
He is a professor at the Amsterdam Conservatory.
You play Meijide
Bass clarinet soloist and clarinetist of the Coruña Municipal Band
About Him
He was born in Lalín (Galicia). He studied with Orentino Sueiro, Joan Enric Lluna, José Luis Estellés, Nancy Braytwaite and Henri Bok. He holds a degree in clarinet from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and the Rotterdam Conservatorium (CODARTS), in addition to having a master’s degree in clarinet performance from the University of A Coruña and a postgraduate degree in clarinet and bass clarinet from the Rotterdam Conservatory (CODARTS).Recognitions and Awards
He is considered one of the best Galician clarinet and bass clarinet soloists, having won several international competitions, including the International Music Forum Competition in Barcelona, the first prize of the jury and the audience at the DeLink Chamber Music Competition in the Netherlands, and the first prize in Henri Selmer bass clarinet competition in Holland.Professional Experience
On a professional level, he has been invited by groups such as 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.soloist
As a soloist, he played with the Symphony Orchestra of Galicia, the Galician Chamber Orchestra, the Santiago Municipal Band, the Coruña Municipal Band, the Lalín Band, the Valladares Band and the Silleda Band, among others. He performed 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 or China. He also participated in the main Galician festivals such as the Xacobeo Clarinet Fest, Cameralia, International Music Festival of Galicia and Imagina Sons.discography
He has an extensive discography, which covers various styles, among which stand out “Dobres” (Double CD of contemporary music), “Windsongs” (with music by Loeb, together with the prestigious soloist Henri Bok and the Municipal Band of A Coruña). “A Berenguela” (collaborating with Nani García, María Inés Cuadrado and the Xerion Clarinet Quartet), “8 European Fishes” (part of the Europejska Orkiestra) and “The Wind Factor”, recording the Concerto for bass clarinet and band Nani García, Van der Rost and Evan Ziporyn.Projects and Ensembles
Passionate about contemporary music and chamber music, he combines his work as a bass clarinet in the Municipal Band of A Coruña with his role as a concert performer in projects such as “manOcas ensemble” (platform of electroacoustic sound languages for clarinets, etc.), percussion, poetry and electronics, together with Javier Ferreiro and Celso Fernández Sanmartín, Europejska Orkiestra, Galicia Jazz Orchestra and Galicia Clarinet Ensemble.teaching
In the teaching field, Xocas Meijide is a professor at the University of Minho in Braga, Portugal, and the International Academy of Galicia. In addition, he is artistic director of the Xacobeo Clarinet Fest, and has given master classes in Guimaraes, Portugal, and in various Galician geography courses, including Bandeira, Valladares, Merza, Lalín, Ferrol, Viveiro or Redondela.Tibor Reman
Principal clarinet of the Berlin Staatkapelle and professor at the Universität der Künste Berlin
About Him
The Romanian-Hungarian clarinetist Tibor Reman was born in 1981. He studied at the “Gh.Dima” Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, later at the “P. Liszt” University of Music in Budapest, Hungary and at the “Universität der Künste” in Berlin, in the solo class of Prof. Francois Benda. During his musical studies he won several international competitions such as “Musical Youth” International Clarinet Competition in Bucharest, “Wiener Classic Prize” International Woodwind Competition in Austria, Yamaha Woodwind Competition Germany Mannheim, etc. He also obtained a scholarship to the Academy-Orchestra of the Berlin State Opera.
Orchestral career
Reman’s orchestral career began with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, where he played regularly between 2004 and 2006 under the baton of Ivan Fischer. From 2006 to 2008 he was a member of the Berlin Staatskapelle Academy Orchestra. From 2007, he played regularly as principal clarinetist with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra under the baton of Daniel Barenboim. Between 2008 and 2010 he was assistant principal clarinet at the Hanover State Opera, Germany. Since 2010 he has held the prestigious position of principal clarinetist of the Staatskapelle Berlin/Berlin State Opera.
Performances and Recordings
With the Berlin Staatskapelle, Reman performed in the main concert halls and festivals under the direction of renowned conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta, Christian Thielemann, Andris Nelsons, Gustavo Dudamel and Antonio Pappano. He can be heard as lead clarinetist on recordings for major labels such as Deutsche Grammophon and Decca.
Chamber Music and Collaborations
Tibor Reman is a member of the Staatskapelle Berlin Wind Quintet and the Boulez Ensemble Berlin. With these chamber groups he performed in prestigious venues such as the Paris Philharmonic, the Carnegie Hall/Zankel Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Boulez-Saal in Berlin. He has collaborated with internationally renowned musicians such as Emmanuel Pahud, Radek Baborak, Wolfgang Boettcher, Lahav Shani, Dennis Kozhukin, Martin Helmchen and Mojca Erdmann. Among the highlights of his concert career are the duet and trio concerts with Daniel Barenboim as part of the “Barenboim-Cycles” at the Schiller-Theater Berlin and Pierre Boulez-Saal Berlin Eastern Divan Orchestra under the baton of Daniel Barenboim.
teaching
Reman teaches clarinet at the Universität der Künste Berlin and is a mentor at the Orchestra-Academy of the Staatskapelle Berlin. He was a member of the jury of international competitions in Romania and Italy, and gave master classes in music universities in Germany, Hungary, Romania, Portugal, Latvia and Spain.
Lorenzo Coppola
Professor of historical clarinet at Esmuc (Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya) in Barcelona
About Him
He was born in Rome. After studying modern clarinet, he studied historical clarinet at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague with Eric Hoeprich. He collaborated with groups specialized in the interpretation with historical instruments: Freiburger Barockorchester, Les Arts Florissants, La Petite Bande, Orquesta del Siglo XVIII, La Grande Écurie et la Chambre du Roy, Libera Classica.
He had the opportunity to share his love of chamber music with musicians and groups such as Cristina Esclapez, Andreas Staier, Isabelle Faust, Alexander Melnikov, Hidemi Suzuki, Kuijken Quartet, Ensemble Zefiro, Quatuor Terpsycordes.
recordings
He recorded some significant pieces of the repertoire for clarinets (Mozart’s Concerto and Quintet, Grand Partita and Serenades for winds, Brahms Sonatas). In 2014 he created, with the pianist Cristina Esclapez, the Ensemble Dialoghi (winds and piano) with which he recorded the Mozart and Beethoven Quintets, for the Harmonia Mundi labels. In 2022 a CD was published with the Trio op. 8 by F. Chopin and the Fantasiestücke op. 73 by R. Schumann, by the Chopin Institute in Warsaw.
teaching
Since 2004 he has been a professor of historical clarinet at Esmuc (Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya) in Barcelona. He is very dedicated to musician-audience communication and the transmission of emotions and the musical message.
Summary of the topics that will be developed during the course at the Galicia Clarinet Fest
- History of simple reed instruments, from their origin to the beginning of the 20th century, in the cultural context of each era.
- Luthiers, virtuosos, composers: their relationships and mutual influences.
- Evolution of the instrument’s technique, also compared to other contemporary instruments (mouthpiece, reed position, articulation, number of keys, fingerings, etc.).
- Articulation (tongue, throat, diaphragm, chest, etc.).
- Nuances of tongue articulation.
- Historical sources (methods, letters, testimonies).
- Formation of national schools.
- Ornaments and cadences.
- The characteristics and limits of the historical instrument as a potential key to understand the style and aesthetics.
- The relationships between the different musical forms of Classicism: instrumental music and opera, its relationship with commedia dell’arte. Declamation and rhetoric.
- Search for effective tools for the interpretation and communication of emotions, also inspired by the vision of the musicians of the past.
- Conference on historical clarinets, exhibition of the instruments. Reflections on some characteristics of the baroque, classic and romantic style. How the historical instrument can help us understand.
- Repertoire:
- Baroque: Telemann, Vivaldi, Rameau, Sciroli, Viennese and German repertoire for chalumeau.
- Classicism: Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Hoffmeister, CPE Bach, Vanhal, Stamitz, etc. (clarinet duets, trios, concertos, piano sonatas, chamber works).
- Romanticism: Schumann, Mendelssohn, Burgmüller, Danzi, Brahms.
- 20th century: Debussy, Berg, Stravinsky, Milhaud, Poulenc, etc.
Michelle Anderson
Professional clarinetist and teacher
About Her
Michelle is a professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He performs regularly with several professional orchestras and loves playing chamber music with the ensemble Trio Harmonie.
Teaching and Festivals
Michelle is in high demand as a guest teacher and soloist at clarinet festivals around the world. Their mission is to make playing the clarinet fun and easy. Through his online master classes, courses and special live events, he teaches adult clarinetists around the world.
Clarinet Mentors
She is the founder of Clarinet Mentors (www.ClarinetMastery.com), one of the most followed online clarinet education resources. Michelle enjoys teaching adult clarinetists from around the world through her online master classes, courses and special live events. Their mission is to make the clarinet fun and easy for people all over the world.
Publications and Performances
Michelle is co-author, along with Debbie Andrus, of DIY Clarinet to be published by Hal Leonard Publishing in 2024. Michelle is a performing artist for Backun Musical Services and Legere Reeds.
Emilio Alonso Espasandín
Soloist of the Orchester National de Cannes since 2019
About Him
Emilio Alonso Espasandín (A Coruña, 1989), is a Galician clarinetist with a brilliant career. Today he enjoys wide recognition as an orchestral musician, chamber soloist and pedagogue.
training
He began his studies with Jesús López. After studying the Higher Degree with Honorary Mention at the CSM in A Coruña, he moved to Portugal, where he completed his master’s degree at the ESMAE in Porto with Professor António Saiote. At the same time, he trained with Beatriz López and Juan Ferrer, as well as receiving guidance from Arno Piters, Eric Hoeprich (historical clarinet), Wenzel Fuchs, Andrew Marriner, etc.
Prizes and Contests
After achieving the 1st Prize for Musical Excellence of the Paideia Foundation in 2011 and the 1st Prize in the José Valcárcel Competition in 2012, he focused his attention on international clarinet competitions, obtaining several more distinctions: 3rd Czech Clarinet Art Prize (2014), 2nd Prize in the Bal y Gay International Competition (2017) and Finalist in the Musical Jeunesses Belgrade (2012).
soloist
As a soloist he performed concerts by Mozart, Weber, Françaix and Nielsen with groups such as Camerata Serbica, Orchester National de Cannes, Real Filharmonía de Galicia, Orquesta Gaos, etc.
Orchestral career
The orchestra has been at the center of his professional life for almost two decades. He was invited as First Clarinet by the Madrid Symphony Orchestra and the Euskadi Orchestra. Also highly appreciated as a requinto and bass clarinet, he regularly collaborates with orchestras such as the Monte Carlo Philharmonic, the Lille National, the Toulon Opera, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the RTVE Symphony, the Galician Symphony and the Real Galician Philharmonic, where he was co-principal of clarinet (2014-15). He is currently a soloist with the Orchester National de Cannes since 2019.
Chamber musician
Very active as a chamber musician, his long collaboration with pianist Gabriel López stands out, with whom he recorded his first CD in 2012, with music from the 20th century. Their interpretations of the Mozart and Brahms Quintets with ensembles such as the Zemlinsky Quartet, Rosalía Quartet or St George String Quartet, among others, also stand out. He is currently a member of the Quartet de Clarinets D’Azûr and regularly collaborates with his ONCannes colleagues on different chamber projects.
teaching
In the pedagogical field, he was invited to give courses and master classes in different centers and events in Spain, France, Portugal and the Netherlands, as well as being a Guest Professor at the Escola Superior de Estudos Musicalis de Galicia (EAEM).
Emilio is a Yamaha artist.
Vitor Matos
Doctorate in Music and Interpretation from the University of Minho. Director of the Guimarâes Orchestra.
About Him
Vítor Matos, 1977, studied at the music academies of Braga and Oporto. Under the direction of professors José Matos and Moreira Jorge, he obtained his clarinet degree. He graduated from the ESMAE in 2001, under the direction of professors António Saiote, Carlos Alves and Luís Silva. He attended supplementary classes with professors António Saiote, Michel Arrignon, Paul Meyer, Guy Deplus and Philippe Cupper. Since 2000 he has been studying regularly with the clarinetist Alessandro Carbonare in Italy.
career
Invited by the Instituto Santo Antonio dos Portugueses, Vítor Matos has performed several music recitals, premiering pieces such as the “Concerto para Clarinet e Orquestra”, which was dedicated to him by the composer Joaquim dos Santos.
Orchestral collaborations
As an instrumentalist, Vítor Matos has collaborated with Orquestra do Norte, Sinfónica do Porto, Orquestra de Câmara Musicare, Filarmónica das Beiras and Gulbenkian. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in international music festivals such as Encontros de Primavera-Guimarães, Póvoa do Varzim, Gaia, Cascais, Mateus, Toulouse and Música Viva.
Orchestra Direction
He studied conducting with Maestro Cesário Costa and regularly conducts several orchestras, including the Orquestra do Norte, the Studio Orchestra, the Câmara do Minho Orchestra, the University of Minho Academic Orchestra, the Conservatory Orchestra, the Kaiserslautern Theater and the South German Radio Orchestra. He was assistant to maestro Ferreira Lobo and Gunther Arglebe in the operas Carmen, Bizet and Elixir d’Amore by G. Donizetti.
In the field of opera, he directed “The Little Sweep” by B. Britten and “Noye’s Fludde” and Carmen by Bizet, all national productions. During Guimarães, European Capital of Culture, he directed the opera “Les Enfants et les Sortilèges” by Maurice Ravel.
soloist
Over the years, Vítor Matos has had the opportunity to conduct outstanding solo musicians such as Alessandro Carbonare, Sérgio Pires, Elisabete Matos, Patrizia Porgio, Peter Arnold, Ilya Grubert, Dora Rodrigues, Luís Pipa, Angelo Martingo, Pavel Gomziakov, Samuel Bastos, among others.
Awards and Recognitions
Vítor Matos has been awarded several times for his performance as an orchestra conductor, especially in Barcelona and Rome (Bachetta d’oro for the best conductor and Bachetta de argento for the best interpretation). In 2007 he directed the Escuela de Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid in specialization courses in Contemporary Music and Orchestra Conducting at the University of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) with teachers Arturo Tamayo and Jesús López Coboz.
Teaching and Masterclasses
His teaching experience includes master classes in Guimarães (International Courses), Viana do Castelo Professional Music Schools and JOBRA, Madeira, Hochschule de Kaiserslautern. His students have received numerous prizes in national and international competitions. Vítor Matos is an artist from Backum.
About Him (Portuguese)
Vítor Matos, 1977, studied at the music academies of Braga and Porto. Under the direction of professors José Matos and Moreira Jorge, he obtained the title of clarinet. He graduated from the ESMAE in 2001, under the direction of professors António Saiote, Carlos Alves and Luís Silva. He attended supplementary classes with professors António Saiote, Michel Arrignon, Paul Meyer, Guy Deplus and Philippe Cupper. Since 2000 he has studied regularly with the clarinetist Alessandro Carbonare in Italy.
race
Invited by the Instituto Santo Antonio dos Portugueses, Vítor Matos performed several musical recitals, debuting pieces such as the “Concerto for clarinet and orchestra”, which was dedicated to him by the composer Joaquim dos Santos.
Orchestral collaborations
As an instrumentalist, Vítor Matos collaborated with the Orquestra do Norte, the Sinfónica do Porto, the Câmara Musicare Orchestra, the Filarmónica das Beiras and Gulbenkian. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician at international music festivals such as Foundos de Primavera-Guimarães, Póvoa do Varzim, Gaia, Cascais, Mateus, Toulouse and Música Viva.
David Griffiths
Director and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music
About Him
David Griffiths is a member of two of Australia’s leading chamber music ensembles: Australia Ensemble@UNSW and Ensemble Liaison. He also holds the position of Associate Director and Associate Professor of Music at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music at the University of Melbourne. A passionate performer and educator, he has given performances and masterclasses in Asia, Europe, the United States, South America, the Middle East, New Zealand and Australia, including a critically acclaimed debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.
Career as a Soloist
As a soloist he has performed with the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Australia Ensemble @ UNSW, Shanghai Radio Orchestra, Macau Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic of Galicia.
Ensemble Liaison
As a member of Ensemble Liaison, she curates and presents an annual three-concert series that is in its nineteenth season. He has also performed with the New Zealand Goldner, Tinalley, Arcacia, Flinders and Australian String Quartets, the New York Wind Soloists and the Southern Cross Soloists.
Collaborations and Festivals
He has collaborated with many notable artists such as Nemanja Radulović, Ray Chen, Anthony Marwood, Henning Kraggerud and Emma Matthews and performed at the Australian Chamber Music Festival in Townsville, the Port Fairy Festival, the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland and the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan
Orchestral Positions
He was associate principal clarinet of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Principal Clarinet of the Macau Orchestra and Principal Clarinet of the Shanghai Radio Orchestra. He has appeared as guest principal clarinet with Australia’s leading symphony and opera-ballet orchestras, along with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. He was acting conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic and performed with the New World Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the China Philharmonic, the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra and the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.
Recently
Recent highlights include the performance of Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet with the American String Quartet, John Adams’ Clarinet Concerto Gnarly Buttons with the Australia Ensemble@UNSW, the Weiland Concerto with the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, a collaboration with the virtuoso of the accordion James Crabb, Mozart’s Clarinet. Quintet and concert at the 3MBS Mozart Marathon and the complete chamber works of Brahms in one day at UKARIA in collaboration with Timothy Young, Svetlana Bogosavljevic and the Australian String Quartet.
recordings
David’s recordings with Ensemble Liaison of the Messiaen Quartet for Fin do Tempo on the Melba Recordings label and with Brahms, Beethoven and Bruch Trios on the Tall Poppies label have received critical acclaim worldwide. It’s a Backun clarinet.
Selin Gurol
Turkish clarinetist of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in Ankara
About Selin Gürol
Born in 1990 in Istanbul, Selin Gürol is a Turkish clarinetist with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in Ankara, Turkey. She is also a TEDx Performer 2022, TEDx Speaker 2023 and a Henri Selmer Paris and Vandoren Paris artist. In addition to his career as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestra member, he continues his doctorate at Istanbul University State Conservatory.
studies
Selin started playing the clarinet at the age of 11 and graduated from Bilkent University Higher School of Music in Ankara. After that training, he attended Michel Lethiec’s university class at the Conservatoire National de Nice in France, where he received the Prix de Perfectionnement and obtained his bachelor’s degree. He obtained his first master’s degree in the class of Frédéric Lapin at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne in Switzerland.
Advanced Studies and Practices
He began his internship at the Philharmonia Zürich-Opernhaus while studying for a Master’s Degree in Orchestral Performance at the Zurich University of the Arts. In addition, he studied with Alessandro Carbonare at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy.
Awards and Recognitions
Selin has received several awards, including Musica Mundi (Belgium), Académie d’Eté de Nice (France), Eczacıbaşı Foundation (Turkey), Bruno Schüler-Stiftung (Switzerland) and Chigiana Academy (Italy).
Orchestral collaborations
He has performed with numerous orchestras, such as the Yehudi Menuhin Academy, the Animato Philharmonic and the Netherlands Youth Orchestra, under the baton of Kristjan Järvi, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Marko Letonja, Ralf Weikert, Peter Eötvös, Christian Zacharias, Leif Segerstam and Kevin Griffiths.
soloist
Selin has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, the Bilkent State Symphony Orchestra and the Çukurova State Symphony Orchestra.
He has more than 125,000 followers on his social networks.
Deborah Andrus
Clarinetist with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra
About her
Equal parts entrepreneur, educator and musician, Deborah Andrus believes that what it takes to tackle a musical challenge is a solid plan and a supportive mentor. Praised by her students for her “inspiring teaching,” Debbie won the T. Edgar Shields Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2009. Through his global clarinet studio, Clarinet Guide LLC, Andrus helps his students creatively solve their challenges through goal setting by fostering mentorship. This allows each student to find their unique voice and express themselves more beautifully through music.
Publications
Deborah Andrus is the author of the clarinet chapters for Teaching Woodwinds, a resource for music educators, which was named in a review in The Clarinet as a “…instruction book with excellent audio examples… as well as a large of videos and resources.”.
She is also the author of The Chalumeau Register, published in 2020. Deborah is excited to announce that her third book, DIY Clarinet with co-author Michelle Anderson, is in final editing by Hal Leonard Corporation.
Teaching and Performances
In addition to her work as a music educator and clarinet pedagogue, Andrus is professor of clarinet at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He is a prominent member of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra and performs chamber music with the SATORI Chamber Ensemble and the DeMarina Trio. Outside of music, Debbie enjoys spending time with her family, making art, and exploring the outdoors.
João Pedro Santos
Professor at the School of Music of the National Conservatório (Lisbon) and the Academy of Music of Santa Cecília (Lisbon)
About Him
João Pedro Santos is a distinguished clarinetist and educator based in Lisbon. He graduated from the Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espectáculo de Porto under the direction of Professor António Saiote. He expanded his studies with a Postgraduate Degree at the University of Évora and another in Musical Mastery at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa.
Achievements and Awards
Throughout his career, João has won prestigious national competitions, including 1st prize in the Helena Sá e Costa Competition (Oporto, 2003) and the Young Musicians Award (Prémio Jóvenes Músicos/Prémio Maestro Silva Pereira) in Lisbon, 2006. Internationally, he was a finalist in the International Clarinet Association (Washington, 2003) and in the Valencia International Competition (2002), and won the Grand Prize of the Lisbon International Interpretation Competition (2005).
Orchestral experience
He was a member of the Gulbenkian Orchestra between 2006 and 2010 and of the Iberoamericana Orchestra in 2008. He collaborated with several orchestras, including the Orquestra Clásica do Sur (Algarve) and the Symphony Orchestra of Portugal (Lisbon). He acted under the baton of renowned directors such as Daniel Barenboim, Lawrence Foster, Gustavo Dudamel or Kirill Petrenko.
As a Soloist
As a soloist, João performed with the ESMAE Orchestra, the ESML Orchestra, the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, the Gulbenkian Orchestra, the Southern Classical Orchestra and the Cascais Chamber Orchestra. He performed at the International Clarinet Association concert in Porto and was invited to the EMCY (European Union Music Competitions for Youth) tour in Germany, recording for Deutsche Welle Radio.
Current Projects
Currently, João Pedro Santos participates in several projects focused on Portuguese and Brazilian music, showing his commitment to cultural exploration through his musical efforts.
Alicia Gonzalez Permuy
Accompanying pianist at the Conservatory of Music of A Coruña
Academic training
Born in Lalín (Pontevedra), Alicia began her piano and violin studies at the age of seven. In 1995 he continued his studies at the Barcelona School of Music with Albert Attenelle (piano) and Jordi Mora (chamber music), participating in courses with Irina Zariskaya, Manuel Carra, Almudena Cano, Josep Colom, among others. He obtained a scholarship from the Provincial Council of A Coruña in 1999 to study 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 continued his studies with Jan Wijn and Eugen Indjic.
Awards and Distinctions
Among his awards are the 3rd Prize in the III Competition “Ciudad de Segovia” (1994), the Honorary Award “Fin de Grado Medio” (Lalín, 1996), the Diploma of “Graduate in Pianoforte Playing” by the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London, 1996), 3rd Prize of the XII International Piano Competition (Berga, 1997), Honors and End of Degree Award (A Coruña, 2001), Postgraduate Diploma, Master (Tilburg, Holland, 2002), among others
Professional Experience
Alicia González Permuy performs outstanding work as an accompanying pianist in master classes with clarinetists such as Joan Enric Lluna, Michael Harris, José Luís Estellés, among others. He collaborated with the Symphony Orchestra of Galicia, the City of Granada Orchestra and the Bilbao Symphony. He performed in rooms such as the Musikverein in Vienna, the Kölner Philharmonie or the National Auditorium in Madrid, under the direction of teachers such as Michail Jurowski, Jesús López Cobos, Ton Koopman, among others.
Concert activity
As a soloist, Alicia gave recitals in L’Auditori de Barcelona, Auditorio Manuel de Falla in Granada, and in various countries such as Belgium, Holland, Portugal or France. He began his career as a soloist with the Brabants Conservatorium Orkest and played as a soloist with the Galician Symphony Orchestra, as well as recording for RNE in 2005.
Current Trajectory
He is currently an accompanying pianist at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de A Coruña and regularly collaborates with the Symphony Orchestra of Galicia, in addition to maintaining an active concert career as a soloist and in chamber music.
Isolde Crespi
Collaborating pianist at the Higher School of Applied Arts of Castelo Branco, the University of Minho and the Professional Artistic School of Vale do Ave
About Her
Isolda Crespi Rubio is born in Barcelona. He graduated in piano at the Royal College of Music (London) under the tutelage of Professor John Barstow. Later, he completed the Master’s in Educational Sciences, Music, at the Portuguese Catholic University, where he published his thesis entitled “The Invisible Teacher. The influence of the accompanying pianist on the musical learning of two students of instruments” through the Editorial “Novas Edições Acadêmicas”.
Artistic Activity
Isolda has performed as a soloist and collaborating pianist in recitals throughout Spain, Portugal, France, Switzerland, Italy, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Brazil and South Korea. He collaborated with prominent international musicians such as Catalin Rotaru, Maté Szucs, Ian Bousfield, Stefan Schulz, Vincent Lucas, Michel Bellavance, Petru Iuga, among others.
He regularly plays with the flutist Adriana Ferreira, with whom he recorded the CD “Danse des Sylphes” in 2011 for the Numérica record label, and in 2015 for the Italian magazine “Falaut”. In 2018 he recorded the CD “O delirio do meu desego” with flutist Ana Maria Ribeiro for the record label Artway, and in 2019 the CD “Nós” with double bassist António Romero Cienfuegos for the label NBB Records.
soloist
As a soloist, Isolda performed in 2019 with the Guimarães Orchestra performing Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, and in 2014 with the ARTAVE Orchestra performing Rachmaninov’s Second Concerto for piano and orchestra. He has led courses and master classes in Portugal and Brazil, and is a founding member of Ibertrio, with whom he has performed in numerous venues and festivals in Portugal and Spain.
Teaching Activity
Currently, Isolda Crespi Rubio is a collaborating pianist at the Higher School of Applied Arts of Castelo Branco (ESART), the University of Minho and the Professional Artistic School of Vale do Ave (ARTAVE).
Cristina Esclapez Gil
piano
Academic training
Cristina Esclapez Gil completed her piano studies with Ramón Muñoz at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Murcia. Later, he studied with Patricia Montero at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where he obtained higher diplomas in piano and chamber music, as well as the first prize in piano accompaniment.
Artistic activity
As a soloist, Cristina has performed the complete work for keyboard by J. Haydn and the Clave bien temperado by JS Bach. However, his true passion is in the field of chamber music, collaborating with prominent artists such as Vicens Prats, Jaime Martín, Julia Gállego, Lorenzo Coppola, Benoît Fromanger, Philippe Bernold, Branimir Slokar, Michel Becquet, Josep Domènech, Javier Zafra, Kristin von der Goltz or Bart Aerbeydt.
In 2006, fascinated by the emotional potential and the variety of nuances of historical pianos, Cristina started performing based on historical criteria, playing 18th and 19th century pianos under the encouragement of Lorenzo Coppola.
In 2014, he founded the Ensemble Dialoghi with which he has recorded the piano and wind quintets of WA Mozart and L. van Beethoven for the Harmonia Mundi label. Recently, they have published the second disc (Fryderyk Chopin Institute record label) where interpretations such as the Chopin trio Op. 8. They have performed in various European capitals, as well as in Japan, Singapore and Canada.
Teaching activity
In 2002, Cristina Esclapez Gil obtained a position as a piano teacher at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Murcia. In 2010 he settled in Barcelona, where he shares his vocation for chamber music with his students at the Escuela Superior de Música de Catalunya, emphasizing the importance of the repertorist in musical training, empathy and support for his students.
Pablo Rodríguez
Pianist accompanying the Saxophone Class at the Superior Conservatory of Music in Vigo
Academic training
Pablo Rodríguez Fernández studied piano and chamber music at the Superior Conservatory of Vigo with Enrique Gobierna and Concepción Rodríguez, and later at the ESMAE in Porto with Luis Filipe Sá, where he received the End of Career Award in 2008. He expanded his studies for two years in the Music Classroom of the University of Alcalá de Henares with Josep Colom. He holds a PhD in Literary Studies from the University of Vigo, with a thesis on the myth of Don Juan, and has a Master’s in Musical Research from the International University of Valencia.
Professional Career
Pablo Rodríguez has an intense career as an accompanist pianist. He participated in notable events such as the Xacobeo Clarinet Fest 2021 and 2023 courses, as well as the Vigo SaxForum 2022. In addition, he taught as a repertoire teacher at the ESMAE-Porto and at the University of Minho-Braga (Portugal), Conservatory of Bari (Italy), University of the Arts-Tirana (Albania), National Academy of Music-Cetinje (Montenegro), among others
He is currently an accompanying pianist in the Saxophone Class of the Superior Conservatory of Music in Vigo.