Early Music Professors
GEVORG VARDANYAN
Position: Baroque Violin/Viola Professor
Categories: Early Music
He studied at the Higher Conservatory of Music of Malaga, where he won the Soloist Contest. He was concertmaster of the Youth Orchestra of Andalusia and participated in numerous tours.
With the Young National Orchestra of Spain, he recorded for the Naxos and Deutsche Grammophon labels. He was invited as a violist to be part of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. The following year he entered the ArtEZ Conservatory in Zwolle (The Netherlands).
In Geneva he continued his studies of baroque violin at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève. In Switzerland, Gevorg worked with orchestras such as OSPF and AMA.
In addition, he collaborated with GECA, l’ESN, l’OCF, Ensemble Fratres, Cappella Mediterranea, Ensemble Hexacorde, and participated in festivals such as GAIA, Archipiel, Baroqueries.
HENRIKKE RYNNING
Position: Baroque Violoncello and Viola da gamba Professor
Categories: Early Music
Web: https://cellodagamba.com/
After completing her studies of modern violoncello at the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo, she graduated in baroque violoncello at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague (Higher Degree) and the Conservatory of Amsterdam (Master).
She continued her studies at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève, where she earned her Master of prawn viola. She participated as a continuist with the Ensemble Cappella Mediterranea and Milenium Orchestra, and collaborated with Les Basses Réunies, Ensemble La Fenice, Ensemble L’Arpeggiata and Arte dei Suonatori, among others.
She is a founding member of Ensemble Sopra il Basso and has been part of numerous productions in international operas. She was a guest soloist with La Voce Strumentale at the Vivarte Chaber Music Festival in Moscow.
ADRIÀ GRÀCIA
Position: Harpischord Professor
Categories: Early Music
He was a repertorist pianist at the Centro Plácido Domingo de Valencia Improvement Center and pianist and harpsichordist in various operatic productions.
He was a pianist and harpsichordist at the Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra national de Paris, at l’Amphithéâtre Bastille and at l’Opéra Garnier. Master CNSMDP, has played with various chamber music formations, such as Ensemble MATIS or La Guirlande.
As a solo harpsichordist, he won the second prize in the Pesaro Gianni Gambi Key Contest.
He was also awarded the Prix Marinette Extermann-Groux for his qualities as Master in Celebration. As a continuist, he collaborates with the Orchestra of the Palau de les Arts, Estil Concertant, the Valencia Orchestra, Millenium Orchestra or Cappella Mediterranea, among others.
LUIS MARTÍNEZ
Position: Traverso Professor
Categories: Early Music
He studied at the Higher Conservatory of Music of Aragon, a traverse at the Higher School of Music of Catalonia (ESMUC) and later at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.
He is the founder and artistic director of La Guirlande, a group dedicated to the interpretation of music from the 18th and 19th centuries, with which he has won several international competitions.
He also won the 2nd prize in the 3rd International Berlin Bach Competition and in the II Young Aragonese Creators Awards, and the GEMA Award for best young group.
He has collaborated with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The Bach Collektiv, Capriccio Barockorchester, Wunderkammer Berlin and Elbipolis Barockorchester Hamburg, among others.
IRENE DEL RÍO
Position: Oboe Professor
Categories: Early Music
After completing the professional degree training at the conservatories of Pontevedra and Santiago de Compostela, she moved to San Sebastián to continue her higher studies at the Higher Center of Music of the Basque Country – Musikene.
She has the Master in Interpretation at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève (Switzerland) and the Master in Interpretation specialized in the practice of ancient instruments (baroque and classical oboe).
She has been part of the Orchester Français des Jeunes Baroque and the Jeune Orchester de la Abbaye. She collaborates with various groups and orchestras such as Cappella Mediterranea, Kirchheim BachConsort, Le Banquet Celéste, Café Zimmermann, Poetic Music, Elyma, Bern Consort, Harmoniche Sfere and Le Concert d’Astrée, among others.
JORGE FUENTES
Position: Natural Horn Professor
Categories: Early Music
He studied professionally at the Superior Conservatory of Music of Castellón and a Master Spezialized in Historical Instruments at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.
He has collaborated with the Galician Symphony Orchestra, National and Symphony Orchestra of Catalonia, Symphony Orchestra of Vallès, Baroque Orchestra of Seville, Scintilla (Opernhaus Zurich) with historical instruments, OCL (Chamber Orchestra of Lausanne) and OCF (Chamber Orchestra of Friborg), among others.
He has played in several wind quintets, metal quintets and chamber music ensembles such as Chaarts Musik Ensemble, Camerata Zurich, Café Zimmermann and Mistral Ensemble.
He was awarded the Final Degree Award and the Euterpe Music Prize. He is also a horn professor at the Ourense Conservatory of Music.
MELODIE MICHEL
Position: Baroque Basson Professor
Categories: Early Music
Interview: https://thi.ucsc.edu/graduate-profile-melodie-michel
After beginning her bassoon studies in Paris, she moved to Switzerland to continue her training and graduated in three Masters: Interpretation of modern bassoon (Zurich Higher School of Arts, ZHdK) Interpretation of historical instruments (Schola Cantorum Basiliensis) and Pedagogy ( Musikakademie Basel / Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya).
Her personal project, “Melodie Around the World”, led her to visit more than 14 countries and gave her the opportunity to study part of the local music, establishing a parallel between Ancient Music and traditional practices.
She was invited for a doctorate at the University of California Santa Cruz. He taught at the ESMAE-IPP in Porto, the ESML in Lisbon and at the Faculty of Music of the UNAM.