INTERVIEW
When and where was your first concert with the MCO?
It was in September 2021. Although it was an MCO project, it was anything but a chamber orchestra. We played Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with a huge orchestra. It was certainly a great first experience with MCO. As a curious note, during that project, I got to meet Viola Wilsem, who, some years later, talked me into auditioning for her orchestra, where we now share the solo oboe position.
What is
your most memorable moment with the orchestra?
I will never forget one concert with Andris Nelsons at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt. There was this moment at the end of the cadenza of the first movement of Beethoven's 3rd Piano Concerto: when the strings start with a very soft dynamic. It was usually always very piano, as is the MCO signature. But especially in this concert, I remember looking at the bows of some colleagues and thinking to myself, “No one is actually playing.” The sound was coming from nowhere, the most extreme pianissimo I have ever experienced. That was followed by a huge crescendo over many bars... I still get goosebumps remembering that moment. It is amazing, the huge range of dynamics this orchestra has. It feels like there is never a limit.
Can you
tell us something about your instrument?
It is an instrument that always says “no”: play louder. No. Play softer. No. Do more legato here. No. But once in a while, it makes you feel that there is nothing better than playing it. It is the queen of the orchestra: always the most beautiful solos (and plenty of them) are written for the oboe.
What is the best thing about being a musician?
There is always something new, something to look forward to: traveling, meeting
new people and visiting new places. It never gets boring, and since it requires
a lot of dedication, you know that both you and your colleagues are there
because making music is something they want to do. It is not just “a job.”
The most inspiring composer:
Without a doubt, Dvořák. He had such a special touch for creating the most beautiful melodies that, for some reason, speak to me. Also, his pieces are really demanding for the oboe, which makes it even better!
What would you do if you weren't a musician?
Airline pilot. I have always been fascinated by planes, and it is the only
thing I could picture myself doing and being happy if music weren’t around.
BIOGRAPHY
Born in
Córdoba, Spain, in 1997, Jesús started his musical studies at a very young age in Southern Spain. When
he was 18, he moved to Leipzig to study with Nick Deutsch at the Hochschule für
Musik und Theater, from where he graduated with the highest grade. During this
time, he became an Akademist at both the Gewandhausorchester and the
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, playing under the baton of Ivan
Fischer, Mariss Jansons, Sir Simon Rattle, Herbert Blomstedt, Nathalie
Stutzmann, Andris Nelsons, Daniel Harding, and others.
Since then,
he has been a regular guest at orchestras all over Europe, such as the Budapest
Festival Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande,
Bamberger Symphoniker, HR-Sinfonieorchester, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra,
and Konzerthausorchester Berlin.
Currently,
Jesús holds the Principal Oboe position at the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester (DSO) Berlin.
