CONDUCTOR

Ernest Martínez-Izquierdo
Web: http://www.ernestmartinezizquierdo.com

Born in Barcelona (1962), Ernest Martínez Izquierdo has held the position of Music Director of the Navarre Symphony Orchestra of Pamplona since 1997.

Following his studies in Barcelona and Paris, he began his conducting career in 1985, when he founded the ensemble “Barcelona 216”, specialized in the interpretation of the contemporary chamber music repertoire. From 2002 to 2006, he was Music Director of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and he continued to serve as Principal Guest Conductor of that ensemble through 2009.

Aside from his work in the capacity of music director, he has also conducted the principal Spanish orchestras and ensembles. Internationally, he has worked with orchestras such as the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de Lyon, Helsinki Philharmonic, Orchestra Comunale di Bologna, Beethoven Academie of Antwerp, Tonkünstler-Orchester and ensembles such as the Ensemble Contemporain of Montreal, the Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt, the Austrian group Klangforum Wien and the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra in Helsinki.

In the operatic realm, outstanding productions include Kaija Saariaho’s opera Adriana Mater, staged by Peter Sellars (with premiers at the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki and at the Santa Fe Opera, USA), Le nozze di Figaro of W.A. Mozart, staged by Emilio Sagi and Carmina Burana of C. Orff, staged by La Fura dels Baus.

He has recorded for Telarc, Harmonia Mundi, Col Legno, Ircam, Stradivarius and Naxos.

He was been honoured with several prizes, including the Ojo Crítico, a prize awarded by the Classical Division of the Spanish National Radio in 1995, the Catalan Roland Journalism Prize for Classical Music in 2000, the City of Barcelona Prize in 2001, and the Latin Grammy in 2006. Since 2006, he has been a member of the Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi.