Christian Vásquez returns to the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra

Christian Vásquez returns to the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra

Christian Vásquez returns this week to the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, of which he was Chief Conductor between 2013 and 2019, to face a program that includes: Manuel De Falla: Suite No. 1 of The Three-cornered Hat, Gabriel Fauré: Elegy for cello and orchestra, Keiko Abe: Prism Rhapsody for marimba and orchestra, Joaquín Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar and orchestra, and Alberto Ginastera: Suite del ballet Estancia. It is a festive program that will serve as the closing of the symphonic course in the Norwegian city and that will take place in the Fartein Valen, Stavanger Concert Hall. Vásquez will be accompanied at this event by soloists Liv Opdal, cello, Kristina Vårlid, guitar, and Akane Tominaga, percussion.

Christian Vásquez has also been Principal Guest Conductor of the Gävle Symphony Orchestra, in Norway, between 2010 and 2013, and of the Het Gelders Orkest in the Netherlands between 2015 and 2020, and continues to be linked to the Venezuelan Children’s and Youth Orchestra System as musical director of the Juan José Landaeta Symphony Orchestra, formerly the Teresa Carreño Youth Orchestra, a position he assumed in 2010. Previously he had been the musical director of the José Félix Ribas Youth Orchestra.

Christian Vásquez returns to the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra

©Takafumi Ueno

He has worked with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, Orchester de la Suisse Romande, Vienna Radio Symphony, Salzburg Camerata, Russian State Symphony, Tokyo Philharmonic or Singapore Symphony. In North America he has conducted the National Arts Center Orchestra (Ottawa) and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, during his participation in their Young Artist Fellowship programme. Since then he has conducted orchestras such as the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Galicia Symphony, Berlin Konzerthausorchester, Prague Radio Symphony, Warsaw Beethoven Festival, Turku Philharmonic, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Warsaw Radio Symphony, Prague Philharmonic, Poznan Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, Basel Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, Estonian National Orchestra, Royal Danish Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Orchestra or the RTE National Orchestra of Ireland. His first operatic engagement in Europe was at the Norwegian Opera with Carmen and he has recently conducted at the Opéra National de Paris as Gustavo Dudamel’s assistant. In Spain he has conducted the Philharmonic of Gran Canaria and Symphonies of Galicia, Castilla y León, Tenerife, the Principality of Asturias and Navarra.


 

Premiere of ‘Albares’, Pacho Flores’ Concerto for Flugelhorn, with Christian Vásquez and the OST

Premiere of ‘Albares’, Pacho Flores’ Concerto for Flugelhorn, with Christian Vásquez and the OST

The absolute premiere of Albares, Pacho Flores’ concert for flugelhorn, will take place next Friday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Adán Martín Auditorium in Tenerife, performed by Pacho himself with the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra (OST) under the baton of Christian Vásquez. A second trumpet concert, Danzas Latinas by Efraín Oscher, commissioned and premiered by the Real Filharmonía de Galicia in November 2021 under Manuel Hernández-Silva, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 will complete the program. This flugelhorn concert is the second work composed by Pacho Flores for solo instrument and orchestra after Cantos y Revueltas, fantasia concertante for trumpet, Venezuelan cuatro and strings, which was also premiered by the Real Filharmonía de Galicia and Manuel Hernández-Silva in January 2018, featuring Leo Rondón on the Venezuelan cuatro, and which is part of the homonymous album for Deutsche Grammophon, Pacho’s fourth recording for the yellow label.

The instrument construction technique has always been vital for the development of music; not in vain instruments are the tools whose evolution and improvement have allowed composers to go a step further, demanding from the performers increasingly greater skills in order to exploit the potential of their new works, a classic virtuous circle. The appearance of pistons expanded the possibilities of brass instruments and therefore their importance within the orchestra, as well as their role as solo instruments, as was the case with Haydn’s Trumpet Concert, commissioned by Weidinger for a new instrument with valves that allowed him to play the chromatic scale, soon improved by the incorporation of the three pistons. Nowadays, Pacho Flores is promoting both an expansion of the solo trumpet repertoire as well as an unprecedented technological evolution of the instrument. Both lines do not run in parallel but intermingle and feed each other back continually, allowing their mutual development.

Premiere of 'Albares', Pacho Flores' Concerto for Flugelhorn, with Christian Vásquez and the OST

The expansion of the repertoire comes about through an ambitious project of shared commissions to leading composers, who write trumpet concerts for the new four-piston prototypes in new keys developed by STOMVI. Pacho works closely with the engineers in the development of these instruments, whose timbre and register possibilities are made known in advance to the composers, so that they know what they can expect from them. The fact that Pacho uses different trumpets in the same concert means that the expressive possibilities of timbre, color and range of these pieces are multiplied. In Albares, Pacho has given this process a new twist by requiring STOMVI to manufacture three new instruments to meet the demands of the work. For the first movement, Bambuco, a C flugelhorn has been constructed, for the second, Milonga, a low A flugelhorn, and for the third, Periquera, a high D flugelhorn.


 

 

 

 

Christian Vásquez at the Opéra National de Paris

Christian Vásquez at the Opéra National de Paris

Christian Vásquez is at the Opéra National de Paris assisting Gustavo Dudamel in the eleven performances of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro that have been taking place at the Palais Garnier since last January 21. Immediately afterwards, Christian Vásquez will return to Spain to conduct the Navarre Symphony Orchestra in a program consisting of the Concierto-capriccio for harp and orchestra by Xavier Montsalvatge, featuring the Sevillian harpist Cristina Montes Mateo, and Brahms’s Symphony No. 3. Later this season he will return again to our country to conduct the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and his good friend Pacho Flores, whom he will lead in the world premiere of the Concierto para fliscorno, by the trumpeter himself, and Danzas Latinas, by Efraín Oscher, as well as Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64.

Christian Vásquez was Music Director of the Teresa Carreño Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and the and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, as well as Principal Guest Conductor of the Het Gelders Orkest and the Gävle Symfoniorkester. He has worked with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Vienna Radio Symphony, Camerata Salzburg, State Symphony of Russia, Tokyo Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Sinfónica de Galicia, Berlin Konzerthausorchester, Warsaw Beethoven Festival, Turku Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Poznan Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Orquesta Nacional de México, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Münchner Philharmoniker, Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Royal Danish Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Orchestra or RTE National Symphony. Christian’s first opera engagement in Europe was at the Norwegian Opera with Carmen. In North America, he has conducted the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa) and Los Angeles Philharmonic, the latter during his participation in their Young Artist Fellowship Program.

Christian Vásquez Medellin Philharmonic

Christian Vásquez began to study violin at the age of eight years in San Sebastián de los Reyes (Aragua State). In 2006 he started his studies in orchestra conducting under the direction of Jose Antonio Abreu and was appointed Musical Director of the Sinfónica Juvenil José Félix Ribas, at the Aragua State.


 

 

 

 

Christian Vásquez at the Opéra National de Paris

Christian Vásquez, concerts in Italy and Poland

Maestro Christian Vásquez will be conducting in Italy and Poland for the next two weeks: in Italy, he will lead the Sicilian Symphony Orchestra on November 26 and 27 at the Politeama Garibaldi Theater, in a program that includes concerts for saxophone and orchestra by Glazunov and Pierre-Philippe Bauzin, with saxophonist Alex Sebastianutto, and Symphony No. 8 by Dvořák. In Poland, he will conduct the National Music Forum Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra (NFM Filharmonia Wrocławska) on December 3. The program includes Vaughan Williams’s Suite for Viola and Orchestra, with Artur Tokarek as soloist, and Bizet’s Symphony in C. Immediately afterwards, Christian will travel to Paris to assist Gustavo Dudamel in the production of Le nozze di Figaro at the National Opera of Paris, whose performances will take place throughout the months of January and February, just before returning to Spain to lead the Navarra Symphony Orchestra, in a program that includes the Concerto-Capriccio for harp and orchestra by Xavier Montsalvatge with the harpist Cristina Montes, and Brahms’ 3rd Symphony.

Christian Vásquez was Music Director of the Teresa Carreño Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, leading them on an important tour around Europe which took them to perform in London, Lisbon, Toulouse, Munich, Stockholm and Istanbul. Vásquez has also been Principal Conductor of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra between 2013 and 2019, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Het Gelders Orkest from 2015 till 2020, a tenure he started with a tour around The Netherlands featuring an all-Latin programme.

Christian Vásquez concerts in Italy and Poland

Following his debut with the Gävle Symfoniorkester in October 2009, one of his first appearances in Europe, Christian was appointed Principal Guest Conductor between 2010 and 2013. He has worked with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Vienna Radio Symphony, Camerata Salzburg, State Symphony of Russia, Tokyo Philharmonic and Singapore Symphony. In North America, he has conducted the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa) and Los Angeles Philharmonic, the latter during his participation in their Young Artist Fellowship Program.

Since then he has conducted orchestras in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland, Estonia, Ireland, USA, Mexico, Brazil, Korea, etc. Christian’s first opera engagement in Europe was at the Norwegian Opera with Carmen. Christian Vásquez started playing the violin at the age of 8, in the city of San Sebastián de los Reyes (Aragua State). In 2006 he began his studies of orchestral conducting under maestro José Antonio Abreu, and that same year he was appointed musical director of the José Félix Ribas Youth Symphony Orchestra, in the Aragua State.


 

 

 

Christian Vásquez at the Opéra National de Paris

Vásquez with the Slovak Philharmonic at the Bratislava Music Festival

Christian Vásquez will conduct the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra at the LVI Bratislava Music Festival in a program consisting of El Salón México, by Aaron Copland; Symphonie Espagnole, by Edouard Lalo, with the violinist Ivan Zenaty; and La noche de los Mayas, by Silvestre Revueltas. Vásquez, who has just returned from a long stay in Colombia with the Medellin Philharmonic, which he conducted in four different programs throughout the month of September, will travel to Israel and Poland to lead the Haifa Symphony Orchestra and the NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic after the concerts at the Bratislava Festival with the Slovak Philharmonic, before joining the production of Le Nozze di Figaro at the Opéra National de Paris in which he will be assistant conductor to Gustavo Dudamel, the new musical director of the institution.

Christian Vásquez will also visit Spain a couple of times this season to conduct the Navarre and Tenerife symphony orchestras. In Pamplona, he will conduct a program that includes the Concierto-Capricho for harp and orchestra by Xavier Montsalvatge, with the Sevillian harpist Cristina Montes Mateo, and the Symphony No. 3 in F major, op. 90 by Johannes Brahms. In Tenerife he will lead his compatriot and friend, the great trumpeter Pacho Flores, in a program consisting of Danzas Latinas, by Efraín Oscher, Concierto para fliscorno, by Pacho Flores himself, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 e E minor, op. 64. Before the end of the season, he will also pay a visit to the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, where he was principal conductor for six seasons between 2013 and 2019.

Christian Vásquez Medellin Philharmonic

Christian Vásquez is currently Musical Director of the Teresa Carreño Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. In addition to his tenure in Stavanger, he has been Principal Guest Conductor of the Het Gelders Orkest between 2015 and 2020, and of the Gävle Symphony Orchestra between 2010 and 2013. He has conducted orchestras such as the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Berlin Konzerthausorchester, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Beethoven Festival Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Poznan Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México, Basel Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Estonian National Orchestra, Danish Royal Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, RTE National Orchestra from Ireland, Philharmonia Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Salzburg Camerata, Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Center Orchestra (Ottawa) or Los Angeles Philharmonic. In Spain he has worked with the Galician Symphony Orchestra, Gran Canaria Philharmonic, Sinfónica de Castilla y León or Symphony Orchestra of the Principality of Asturias.