Climbing the Pianistic Everest
1909 emerged as a pivotal year, not only in the unfolding of politics and art across Europe but also in that liminal space where history begins to yield to legend. In France, the National Assembly, with the cold precision of a scalpel, rejected the abolition of the death penalty, and in the metallic echo of their deliberations, the latent tensions over human rights stirred, over that fine line separating justice from the abyss. In my country, Spain, a whisper of immortality resounded on the stage of the Pérez Galdós Theater in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with the premiere of La Esfinge by Unamuno, a testament to a Spain suspended between the finite and the eternal, between man and his inexhaustible questions.
But if anything defined the pulse of the world that year, it was the eruption of the Ballets Russes in the West, a primordial energy that, like lightning over the plains, forever altered the artistic landscape of Europe. The debut at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris was almost a ritual act, an encounter between tradition and the wild, the Orient of the Russian soul and the Cartesian rationality of the West. And in Spain, meanwhile, war raged in the Rif, and Barcelona sank into the tragic shadow of the Semana Trágica, amidst the fire and sweat of those who believed that justice was only possible with bare hands.
Josu De Solaun
Josu De Solaun, praised by critics such as Nikolaus Frey of Fuldaer Zeitung for his “poetic sense of sound, bold artistic vision, and virtuosity,” has won the International Classical Music Awards twice—2021 for chamber music and 2023 as Best Soloist. The ICMA jury recognized him as “one of the most impressive discoveries of the past decade,” noting his boundless interpretive imagination and technical mastery.
Josu is the only Spanish pianist to have won both the José Iturbi (2006) and George Enescu (2014) international piano competitions. He has recorded the complete piano works of George Enescu for NAXOS and, in 2019, was named an Officer of the Order of Cultural Merit by Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, for his contributions to Romanian music.
Trained by Salvador Chuliá in Spain and later by Nina Svetlanova, a student of Heinrich Neuhaus, Josu also studied in New York with David Soyer, Robert Mann, and Isidore Cohen. Critics like Jessica Duchen of BBC Music Magazine praised his “flexible vitality” and “sweet tone,” while Justo Romero of Scherzo Magazine called him “one of the most interesting contemporary keyboard virtuosos,” celebrating his powerful and expressive pianism.
He has performed as a soloist with many prestigious orchestras, including the Spanish National Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, La Fenice Orchestra of Venice, George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony, RTÉ Orchestra of Dublin, and the Mexico City Philharmonic, among others. His collaborations span a diverse and distinguished range of ensembles, underscoring his versatility and international appeal.
His discography features the complete Liszt concerti, Haydn Sonatas (IBS Classical label, which earned him the 2023 ICMA Best Soloist award), the complete works for piano by Enescu, Strauss’ Burleske, and a Brahms and Schumann album. His recordings are celebrated for their depth and originality, earning him critical acclaim and a dedicated following.
As a composer, he recently premiered his Concertino Breve for piano and string orchestra, as well as his Tombeau String Quartet. These works reflect his multifaceted artistry, seamlessly integrating his skills as a pianist and composer. In addition to his performances and recordings, Josu is a professor at Escuela Superior Musical Arts Madrid, where he trains a select group of students. His pedagogical approach combines a deep love for the piano with a commitment to nurturing the next generation of musicians. Beyond his musical achievements, Josu is also an accomplished poet.
His poetry collection, Las Grietas, was published in 2021 with a foreword by Spanish Poet Laureate Álvaro Valverde. This collection offers insight into his creative mind, showcasing his literary talents alongside his musical pursuits.
Josu De Solaun’s artistry is marked by a dedication to exploring new interpretations and pushing the boundaries of classical music, making him a unique and influential figure in today’s music world. His work, both on stage and in the studio, continues to inspire and captivate audiences around the globe.
Isabel Rubio
Born in Murcia (Spain), Isabel Rubio is currently the head of the Jove Orquestra de les Comarques Gironines and associate conductor of the Orquestra Vigo 430. She was a finalist in the competition for the assistant conductor position under Kirill Petrenko at the Berliner Philharmoniker.
She has won the 1st Orchestra Conducting Competition in Aspe, the 1st International Conducting Competition of the City of Villena, and the 1st Meetings on Orchestral Conducting in Bilbao. Internationally, she has been selected to participate in conducting competitions across France, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, where she was a semi-finalist in the prestigious International Guido Cantelli Prize Competition.
Her conducting experience includes leading orchestras such as the Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, RTVE Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, Murcia Regional Symphony, Orquesta de Extremadura, Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Orquesta de Córdoba, Málaga Symphony Orchestra, Gran Canaria Philharmonic, Orquesta de València, Oviedo Filarmonía, Pontevedra Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta de Antalya in Turkey, Pärnu Music Festival Orchestra in Estonia, Joven Orquesta de Barcelona, Orquesta Federal de la Comunidad Valenciana, Joven Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid, Jove Orquestra Simfònica de Castelló, Joven Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquestra de Cambra Illa de Menorca, Orquesta de Cámara Sine Tempore, and the professional wind bands of Madrid, Bilbao, Alicante, Pontevedra, Santiago de Compostela, Almería, Vitoria, and Valencia. She has also served as assistant conductor with the Valencia Orchestra, resident assistant with the Joven Orquesta Nacional de España (JONDE), and supported various opera productions.
She has conducted at festivals including the Pärnu Music Festival in Estonia, the Festival Internacional and Semana de Música Religiosa de Cuenca, the Lugo Organ Festival, the Composition Meetings of the Valencia Orchestra, the Ourearte Music Fest in Portugal, the CullerArts International Violin Competition, and the Málaga International Film Music Festival.
