Biography

I have a brother 17 years older than me, and he is a trumpet player! So as a baby I grew up listening to etudes, scales and every trumpet excerpt ever. I always liked music and wanted to steal my brother’s trumpet, but he had a violinist friend that I adored, and as a five year old, wanted to be like her.

When I turned five, my family got me a violin, and two years later I started conservatoire. On day one, the teachers made a demonstration of the instruments and I fell in love with the viola, so I swapped!

The summer of 2016 is when I decided I wanted to pursue music professionally. I got called last minute to take part in Luzerne Music Center in New York, and frankly, I was a 13 year old who spoke no English and didn’t practise scales every day. This was the first time ever playing with a big orchestra and studying chamber music, and that feeling of excitement of making music with all my colleagues is still the same today. After that summer, I started practising more seriously and preparing for undergraduate auditions.

At 18, I moved to London to complete my undergraduate at the Royal Academy of Music and I fell in love with the city and all that it had to offer. I’m from a small town in Asturias, and I was very excited to live in such a big place.

During my second year, I injured my shoulder and biceps, and this changed everything for me. I couldn’t play for a few months, and had to rethink the way I practised. My professor Jon Thorne helped me get through the injury and rebuilt my technique to help me play a lot more comfortably and freely!

My first year out of education has been quite scary, and also exciting – for the first time ever I wasn’t going back to school after summer. I did loads of freelancing, practice, and made my way from all ends of London to teach my students, and it all worked out. I also discovered that I really enjoy teaching; each student is like a puzzle you need to solve, and that amplifies how you think about playing and things you do on auto pilot, which makes you a better player!

Outside of music you will find me doing some sort of craft, at the gym, or attempting salsa dancing.

I’m so thrilled to be a part of this year’s fellowship and to make lots of music!