Ana Maria Valderrama

Since her debut as a soloist with conductor Zubin Mehta at the celebration concert of the 70th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen of Spain (at the opening of Sony Auditorium of the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía), Ana Maria Valderrama has established herself as one of the most acclaimed Spanish violinists of her time.

Winner of the 1st prize and Special Audience Prize in the XI International Violin Competition Pablo Sarasate 2011, Ana María has become the first Spanish violinist in the history to win this prestigious award. Ana María Valderrama has won other important competitions, such as “Lisbon International Violin Competition” (Portugal), “VI Certamen de Interpretación Intercentros Melomano” (Madrid), “Primer Palau” (Barcelona), “Novosibirsk International Violin Competition” (Rusia), etc.

Ana María has developed an intense concert career performing in countries such as England, Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, Russia, USA, Mexico or Colombia.

As a soloist she has performed with orchestras such as Academic Symphony Orchestra of St. Petersbourg, Orquesta Sinfónica de RTVE, Orquesta Sinfónica de Baleares, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra, Novosibirsk Orchestra, Yucatán Symphony Orchestra, Nottingham Symphony Orchestra, Nottingham Youth Orchestra, Niederbayerischen Philharmonie, Lisbon Music Festival Orchestra, Freixenet Orchestra and Sony Chamber Orchestra of the “Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía”, Orquesta Sinfónica del Vallés, Orquesta Filarmónica de Medellín, and Cannes Regional Orchestra; with renown conductors such as Philippe Bender, Dereck Williams, Ros Marbá, Juan Felipe Molano, Leduque-Barome, Xavier Puig, Salvador Brotons, Alejandro Posada, Peter Csaba, Max Valdés or Zubin Mehta.

A dedicated chamber musician, Ana María has studied with Prof. E. Feltz and R. Schmidt and she has played in festivals such as “Open Chamber Music” (Prussia Cove), Festival Internacional de Santander, Festival Internacional de Segovia, “Yellow Barn” (USA), Festival de Música Española de Cádiz, Festival Internacional de Música de Úbeda or Tardes de España Festival (St. Petersbourg) among others, performing in the major halls of Spain, such as the National Auditorium in Madrid, Palacio de Festivales of Cantabria, the Auditorium of Barcelona and the “Palau de la Musica Catalana”.

Ana Maria Valderrama initially studied violin with professor Anna Baget in the Ferraz Conservatory of Madrid. Later on, she studied with professors Zakhar Bron and Yuri Volguin at the “Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía”, where her Majesty the Queen honored Ana Maria with the distinction as “Most Outstanding Student in the Violin section” in the years 2005 and 2007. In 2009 she graduated from the “Escuela Superior de Música de Cataluña” with the maximum distinction. She completed her Master studies at the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” in Berlin with professor Antje Weithaas. At the moment she studies at the UDK with professor Nora Chastain. She has also attended lectures given by A. Chumachenco, M. Fuks, M. Zweig, F. Andrievsky, W. Levin, R. Gothoni, R. Barshai, I. Ozim, M. Pressler, L. Kavakos and S. Isserlis.

Ana María has recorded a live album from the Madrid National Auditorium of Music playing the Lalo’s “Spanish Symphony” with the Freixenet Orchestra and Max Valdés, and many of her concerts have been broadcasted by Spanish National Television and Spanish Classical Radio.

She has been granted scholarships from the Albeniz Foundation, the Community of Madrid, Caja Burgos, Caja España, AIE, Mutua Madrileña, Juventudes Musicales, Humboldt Foundation and DAAD La Caixa.

photo: from booklet ‘Brahms & Franck’