Relaxed Saturday Live: Jose Zalba-Smith (flute) & Yailín Martínez-Hierrezuelo (flute)

Free admission | Donations welcome

Programme

St James’s is grateful for the generous support of Rolex for this music programme.

Artist Bio

Born in 1984, in Havana, Cuba, Jose studied flute and piano at the Alejandro G. Caturla and later at Amadeo Roldan Conservatory. His flute professors at this time were Erasmo Lopez and Floraimed Fernandez, both members of the National Symphony Orchestra, Ballet and Opera Orchestras. During this period of study, he received Second Prize in Amadeo Roldan’s National Flute Competition (1997) and First Prize from the National Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba in their Woodwind Competition in 2001, performing with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jorge Lopez Marin. Jose has given chamber music concerts with the violinist Evelio Tieles and Havana Player’s Ensemble at the Auditorium Amadeo Roldan and Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis in Havana. He was also invited to be part of the Bach Festival 2002 in Havana giving concerts in a variety of venues such as National Theatre “Garcia Lorca” and Caturla’s Concert Hall. After auditioning in London, England, Jose was offered places at the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Trinity College of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the latter offered a full scholarship for the Bachelor of Music Degree which Jose accepted and commenced in 2003. After completion of this degree in 2007, Jose was kindly supported by the Society of Knights of the Round Table and the Innholders’ Company to continue his studies at the Guildhall School of Music, in the Masters Programme (Orchestral Training). During his time at Guildhall, with Philippa Davies as his main professor, Jose enjoyed training under other eminent players such as Sharon Williams, Ian Clarke, Sarah Newbold and Sam Coles. He also played with Guildhall Symphonia and Wind Orchestra conducted by Gordon Hunt, Joseph Wolfe and David Corkhill and with the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir. Colin Davies, Sian Edwards, Paolo Olmi and Christopher Seaman. Whilst a student he was invited to play with the Morley College’s Orchestra and the Eureka Foundation Orchestra. During this time Jose also founded Vientus, a wind trioand gave concerts at his Conservatoire, various churches across the UK and in Tarragona, Spain (Pretori Roma). As well as this he accepted numerous invitations to perform in festivals such as Glasgow Cathedral Music Recital Series (2006), Seville Music Festival, Spain (2006), Belgrade Music Festival, Serbia (2007), Winchester Music Festival (2008), Frome Young Musicians Recital Series (2008), and Paxos International Chamber Music Festival, Greece (2008). Jose was accepted as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Spain (2006-2007) and as an extra player for the National Welsh Opera. Finally, on completing his Masters, Jose was chosen to be part of the 2008-2009 Foyle Future Firsts Training Scheme with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and also given a place with the Southbank Sinfonia with whom he has enjoyed many exciting opportunities to play an extremely varied programme in a variety of venues across the UK. Jose has performed several times as Principal and Sub Principal with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, in educational project with the CBSO in Birmingham and tours with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in London and Europe. Jose currently runs a successful Cuban music workshop series which he has taken to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Royal Birmingham Music Conservatoire, Royal Northern College of Music, Oxford Flute Summer School, Philippa Davies International Flute Summer School and The Scottish International Flute Summer School.

Yailín Martínez-Hierrezuelo (Cuban-Spanish flautist, teacher and researcher) holds a PhD in Education from the Complutense University of Madrid and a Master’s degree in Musical Creation and Performance from Rey Juan Carlos University. She began her musical studies at the Alejandro García Caturla Conservatory with Professors Erasmo López (flute) and Rita María Vega (piano). She continued her intermediate studies at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory with Professor Vivian Jiménez and completed her higher education at the University of the Arts of Cuba under the guidance of Professor Niurka González. Subsequently, in Spain, she pursued advanced training courses with Aniela Frey, Júlia Gállego (Conservatori–Liceu of Barcelona), Thomas Beyer (Barenboim–Said Academy of Orchestral Studies), and Laurent Blaiteau (Escola de Altos Estudos Musicais de Galicia). She has also participated in masterclasses with Jean-Claude Gérard, Davide Formisano, Jürgen Brüggebors, Andrea Griminelli, Francesca Canali, among others.

She has performed in venues in Cuba, Spain, Austria, Italy, Romania, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. She has received several performance awards, including Second Prize (first prize not awarded) at the Andalucía Flauta International Competition (2010); First Prize at the National Young Performers Competition of La Puebla de Almoradiel, Toledo (2010); Second Prize at the UNEAC National Chamber Music Competition (Havana, 2008); First Prize at the Musicalia National Competition in the Wind Instruments and Chamber Music categories (Havana, 2006 and 2007); and First Prize at the Amadeo Roldán Competition (2005). She has participated in festivals such as ChamberArt Madrid (2018); Settimane Musicali Gustav Mahler, Dobbiaco, Italy (2013) and Cuenca Sacred Music Festival (2011) with the Joven Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid (JORCAM); MidEurope 2011, Schladming, Austria with the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project (WYWOP); Esteban Salas International Early Music Festival (Havana, 2009) with the Orquesta del Lyceum Mozartiano de La Habana; Havana Contemporary Music Festival (2005–2008 editions); and the National Chamber Music Festival (Havana, 2008). She has presented papers at educational research congresses and conferences in Spain and Hungary. She has participated in programs on Radio France (France Musique), National Musical Radio (CMBF), and Cuban Television. She recorded the Concertino for Flute, Piano, and Strings by Argeliers León for the CD-DVD Argeliers León (Colibrí label), as well as the Duo in A-flat for Flute and Piano and Caligula by Harold Gramatges for the CD Harold Gramatges (Colibrí label), which was awarded at the CUBADISCO 2011 Record Fair. Now, she is a music education professor at Complutense University of Madrid.