Over to Madrid this week for a concert by Orquesta Nacional de España conducted by Ernest Martinez-Izquierdo and featuring the Spanish cellist Lluis Claret in music of Ravel, Guinjoan and Stravinsky.
Beginning with Ravel’s Alborada del Gracioso. Lluis Claret joins the orchestra in a performance of Music for Cello and Orchestra by Joan Guinjoan and ending the concert with the 1919 version of Stravinsky’s Firebird suite.
From Ernest Martinez-Izquierdo’s website:
Born in Barcelona, Ernest Martínez-Izquierdo is currently Honorary Conductor of the Navarre Symphony Orchestra of Pamplona and Principal Guest Conductor of the ensemble Barcelona 216. He is also Professor at ESMUC (Catalonia High School of Music) in Barcelona.
Following his studies in Barcelona and Paris, he began his conducting career by founding the ensemble “Barcelona 216”, specialized in contemporary music with which he has performed at the most prestigious international festivals. He was appointed Assistant Director of the Spanish National Orchestra, and Pierre Boulez invited him to be his Assistant in the Ensemble Intercontemporain (Paris). From 1997 to 2013, he served as Music Director of the Navarre Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, from 2002 to 2006, he was Music Director of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and he continued to serve as Principal Guest Conductor until 2009.
In addition to his roles as music director, he has conducted the principal Spanish orchestras and ensembles. Internationally, he has worked with orchestras such as the Tokyo Symphony, Kyoto Symphony, Finnish Radio Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Trondheim Symphony (Norway), Philharmonique de Radio France, Lyon National, Warsaw Philharmonic, Gulbenkian Orchestra (Lisboa), Sinfónica do Porto, Sinfónica Municipal de São Paulo, Zagreb Philharmonic, Orchestra Comunale di Bologna, Beethoven Academie of Antwerp, Tonkünstler-Orchester (Wien) and ensembles such as the Ensemble Contemporain of Montreal, the Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt, Trondheim Sinfonietta, Klangforum Wien and the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra in Helsinki.
Lluís Claret is an Andorran cellist. He was born in Andorra in 1951 where he began his musical education at the age of 9. In 1964 he moved to Barcelona, won major distinctions at the Conservatory of the Liceu, and began working with Enric Casals. Claret continued his studies in France, Italy and in the USA. Throughout his career he has been especially committed to chamber music.
He has performed with many noted orchestras including National Symphony de Washington, Moscow Philharmonic, National Orchestra of France, English Chamber Orchestra, Hungarian Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic.
He won first prizes at a number of prestigious international competitions. He is a founding member of the Trio de Barcelona and frequently collaborates with well-known musicians. He teaches at music schools and conservatories and he also regularly participates in the juries of major international competitions.
Enjoy the concert!
