Jesús Castro-Balbi

Jesús Castro-Balbi is a French and American cellist who performs internationally and is the Cello Professor at Texas Christian University.^[1] Born in Spain of Peruvian parents, he was raised in France and moved to the United States in 1996.

Biography

Career

Cellist Jesús Castro-Balbi is a concert artist, teacher, and adjudicator on the national and international arenas. Performance highlights include features at the Lincoln Center Festival, Symphony Space and 12 appearances at Carnegie Hall in New York City, seven visits to China, concerts at Leipzig's Gewandhaus, and performances with orchestras in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the U.S., including the Aarhus Symfoniorkester, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra (Peru) in Lima, the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra, the UNAM Philharmonic Orchestras (OFUNAM), the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and Norwegian Radio Orchestra.^[2][3]

To date, appears in 12 compact discs and has presented 54 world premiere performances and recordings, including of 22 works written for him by such distinguished composers as Esteban Benzecry, Martin Blessinger, Blaise Ferrandino, Robert Garwell, Till Meyn, Robert Xavier Rodríguez, Édgar Valcárcel, and Samuel Zyman. Harmonia Mundi has scheduled the 2015 release of the first recording of The Lord of the Air: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra by Jimmy Lopez with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra led by Miguel Harth-Bedoya. Castro-Balbi is the cellist of the Lin / Castro-Balbi Duo, of the music project Caminos del Inka and formerly of the Clavier Trio. Among other distinctions, he is the winner of the Aldo Parisot Prize at Yale, the Salon de Virtuosi Award in New York, and of the Carlos Prieto International Cello Competition.

Castro-Balbi is Associate Professor of Cello at the Texas Christian University School of Music in Fort Worth, Texas, where he also the founding artistic director of the TCU Cello Ensemble, the biennial TCU Cellofest, and of the Faculty & Friends Chamber Music Series, receiving the Dean's Research and Creativity Award and the College of Fine Arts Award for Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher and Scholar. In addition to his work at TCU, he conducts master-classes and lectures at Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music, The Juilliard School, Paris Conservatoire, Leipzig's Hochschule, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Texas at Austin and at the Yale School of Music. He has performed and/or taught at the Aspen (Colorado), Cartagena (Colombia), Clear Creek (Oregon), Music in the Mountains (Colorado), Pyeong-Chang (South Korea), Round Top (Texas), San Miguel de Allende (Mexico), Summit (New York) and Winterfest (Latvia) music festivals. He has adjudicated for the Sphinx Competition (Michigan), and for the Aiqin Bei (China), Lutoslawski (Poland) and Carlos Prieto (Mexico) International Cello Competitions.

Castro-Balbi is a graduate of the Conservatoire de Lyon, Indiana University at Bloomington, the Yale School of Music, earning a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at The Juilliard School. He studied with Iseut Chuat, Marc Coppey, Jean Deplace, Aldo Parisot, Janos Starker, and members of the Amadeus, Borodine, Juilliard, Ravel and Tokyo String Quartets.

Family

Of Peruvian heritage, Castro-Balbi was raised in France from a young age. His father, notable classical guitarist Jesús Castro Balbi, is a professor at the Conservatoire de Lyon. His mother, Guillermina Aguilar, is also a classical guitarist and a former professor at Ėcole Nationale de Musique in Saint-Malo, France. Siblings include Maria de los Angeles Castro-Balbi (violinist in the Gulbenkian Symphony Orchestra), Arthur Soulès Aguilar (violin), Lorenzo Soulès Aguilar (1st Prize winner in the Geneva International Piano Competition) and Isabelle Castro-Balbi (piano). Other notable family members include cousins Alexandre Castro-Balbi (cello) and David Castro-Balbi (violin).

Jesús Castro-Balbi is married to Gloria Lin, who is also a faculty member at TCU School of Music. They met in 1996 at Indiana University and formed the Lin / Castro-Balbi Duo (see 'Performance' section). Castro-Balbi and Lin currently reside in Ft. Worth, TX.

Teaching

Castro-Balbi is a highly sought-after teacher, presently Associate Professor of Cello at Texas Christian University since 2003. Previous appointments include cello faculty positions at The Juilliard School Pre-College Division, the Amati Music Festival, The French-American Conservatory of Music and a teaching assistant position at The Juilliard School Lower Strings Seminar. Castro-Balbi is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Faculty & Friends Chamber Music Series, the TCU Cello Ensemble and the biennial TCU Cellofest.^[4][5][6] These organizations serve to further enrich the education of music students, providing opportunities for professional performance and creating space to observe world-class artists teach and perform. Castro-Balbi's dedication to teaching and musical outreach has resulted in many awards and recognitions from the TCU, local and international music communities. (See 'Honors and Awards' section)

Students of Castro-Balbi have gone on to have careers as prominent teachers, major symphony members and international concert artists. Notable former students include Le Gao (China), Ignacy Grzelazka (Poland), Hyung-Joo Kim (South Korea), Taide Prieto (Peru), Bo Zhang (China) and Xiaolai Zhou (China).

Outside of TCU, Mr. Castro-Balbi has had the distinction of serving as guest faculty at many prestigious festivals including Summit Music Festival (Purchase, NY), Clear Creek Music Festival (Halfway, OR), Lev Aronson Legacy (Dallas, TX), Carlos Prieto Mexican Cello Institute (Mexico), Conservatory Music in the Mountains (Durango, CO), Filarmónica Joven de Colombia (Colombia), Round Top Festival Institute (Roundtop, TX), Chamber Music Round-up (Ft. Worth, TX), Mimir Chamber Music Festival (Ft. Worth, TX), Aguascalientes Chamber Music Festival (Mexico) and San Miguel de Allende Chamber Music Festival (Mexico).

In addition, he has been invited to give masterclasses at Southern Methodist University, Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing), University of Texas at Austin, East China Normal University, California State University, Southwestern University, Tianjin University, Yale University, Boston Conservatory, Kennesaw State University, University of Cartagena, University of Colorado at Boulder, The Juilliard School, Leipzig Hochschule, Pohjois-kymen Musiikkiopisto (Finland), University of North Texas, Manhattan School of Music, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique (Paris), Conservatoire National de Région (Versailles), EAFIT University, National Conservatory (Lima), Universidad de las Américas Puebla (Mexico), Conservatorio de Las Rosas, Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music and Pyeong-Chang International Music Festival (South Korea).

Performance

An artist of world-class caliber, Castro-Balbi has performed all over the globe as a concert soloist and chamber musician. He has been featured with numerous major orchestras and has given over 50 world premiere performances. Castro-Balbi has been a member of many ensembles, most recently as the cellist in the Lin / Castro-Balbi Duo, Caminos del Inka and the Clavier Trio.

The Lin / Castro-Balbi Duo has been actively performing since 1996. A sought after ensemble, the cello/piano duo has received critical acclaim for their work throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Members Gloria Lin and Castro-Balbi strive to promote new or little known music from composers all over the world, including works by Marlos Nobre, Esteban Benzecry, Luis Sandi, Astor Piazzolla, Blaise Ferrandino and Martin Blessinger. To date, the duo has recorded three albums and has been broadcast on international cable television as a part of the Cartagena International Music Festival.^[7]

Caminos del Inka^[8] is a multimedia project that was founded in 2007 by Miguel Harth-Bedoya. An artist of the project, Castro-Balbi has performed as a chamber musician and soloist with many different ensembles both in Ft. Worth and abroad. The project aims to explore, create and promote music from the Americas and present it to audiences in a unique way through multimedia performances. Most recently as a member of the project, Castro-Balbi was featured with the Fort Worth Symphony playing Osvaldo Golijov's "Mariel" for cello and orchestra.

The Clavier Trio was active between 2005-2013 and based in Dallas, TX. Trio members included Castro-Balbi, violinist Arkady Fomin and pianist David Korevaar.^[9] The group performed internationally including multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall and received favorable reviews from The Strad and New York Concert Review, among others. The trio was ensemble-in-residence at University of Texas at Dallas.

Honors and Awards

• Guest Professor, East Normal U., Shanghai, China, 2013
• College of Fine Arts Award for Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher and Scholar, TCU, 2012
• Commendation "in Recognition of Contributions and Support to the Central Conservatory of Music's Mission and to Furthering Education in Cello Performance." Beijing, China, 2012
• Deans' Research and Creativity Award, TCU, 2008
• Salon de Virtuosi – Schwartz Foundation Award, New York, New York, 2004
• Victor Elmaleh Prize, Concert Artist Guild, New York, New York, 2003
• First Prize, Carlos Prieto Latin American Cello Competition, Mexico, 2000
• Winner, Cello Concerto Competition, Verbier Academy, Switzerland, 2000
• Aldo Parisot Prize, Yale U., Connecticut, 1999
• Winner, Woolsey Hall Concerto Competition, Yale U., Connecticut, 1999
• Starr Doctoral Fellowship, The Juilliard School, New York, 1999-2001
• Julia Sillman Scholarship, Yale U., Connecticut, 1998-1999
• First Prize, European Chamber Music Competition, Privas, France, 1996
• First Prize, First Chamber Music Competition, Guidel, France, 1994
• First Prize, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique, Lyon, France, 1995
• Gold Medal in Cello Performance, Conservatoire National de Région, Lyon, France, 1992
• Gold Medal in Chamber Music, Conservatoire National de Région, Lyon, France, 1992

Discography

• Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor. Jimmy Lopez The Lord of the Air: Cello Concerto (world premiere recording). Harmonia Mundi, anticipated release Spring 2015. Recorded April 2014.
• Apuntes Sobre La Historia De La Música En México: Obras Mexicanas Para Violonchelo. Samuel Zyman Suite for Two Cellos (selections). Compact disc recording with Carlos Prieto. Re-release from Aprieto (Urtext Digital Classics, 2001). Seminario de Cultura Mexicana, 2013.
• Vienna and Café Music. Compact disc recording with the Clavier Trio. Joseph Haydn Trio in C major, Hob. XV:27; Johannes Brahms Trio in B Major, Op. 8; and Paul Schoenfield Café Music. Clavier Trio, 2012.
• Contemporary Art Music in Texas. Martin Blessinger The Paul Bunyan Suite (selections). Compact disc recording with Gloria Lin. Produced by International Society for Contemporary Music. Stephen F. Austin State U. Press, 2012.
• Robert Rodriguez: Complete Music for Cello and Piano. Compact disc recording with Gloria Lin, piano. Tentado por la Samba (world premiere recording), Máscaras (world premiere recording), Ursa (world premiere recording), Favola I (world premier recording) and Lull-A-Bear (world premiere recording). Albany Records, 2012. TROY1355.
• Transfigured Night. Compact disc recording with the Clavier Trio. Arnold Schönberg Verklärte Nacht and Sergei Rachmaninov Trio Elégiaque in D Minor, Op. 9. Clavier Trio, 2010.
• Robert Xavier Rodriguez: Chamber Works. Compact disc recording with the Clavier Trio et al. Trio II and of Sor(tri)lege: Trio III (world premiere recordings). Albany Records, 2009. TROY1136.
• Conversation with Bill Lively. DVD featuring music performed by Clavier Trio. In KERA Art & Seek. North Texas Public Broadcasting Inc., 2008.
• Rapsodia Latina. Compact disc recording with the Lin / Castro-Balbi Duo (Gloria Lin, piano). Marlos Nobre Desafio II, Op. 31 No. 2bis; William Bolcom Gingando: Brazilian Tango Tempo; and the world premiere recordings of Esteban Benzecry Toccata y Misterio and Rapsodia Andina; Gabriela Frank Manhattan Serenades; Marlos Nobre Poema III, Op. 94 No. 3; Manuel Ponce Lejos de ti; Luis Sandi Sonatina; and Joaquin Silva-Diaz Serenata. Filarmonika, 2007. FILA 0102.
• Passion and Glory. Compact disc recording with the Clavier Trio. Bedřich Smetana Trio in G Minor, Op. 15, and Brahms Trio in C Major, Op. 87. Clavier Trio, 2006.
• Anthony Newman: Complete Works for Cello and Piano. Re-release of Anthony Newman: Chamber Music (930 Records, 2003). 930 Records, 2006.
• Relax for Power with Hazel Gordon Lucas. Compact disc recording including works for cello and harp with Laura Logan: Debussy Beau Soir, Fauré Après un rêve, Jules Massenet Méditation, from Thaïs and Saint-Saëns Le Cygne. 2004.
• Anthony Newman: Chamber Music. Anthony Newman Sonata for Cello and Piano (world premiere recording), with the composer at the piano. 930 Records, 2003.
• Aprieto. Samuel Zyman Suite for Two Cellos (world premiere recording). Compact disc recording with Carlos Prieto. Urtext Digital Classics, 2002.
• The Music of Ezra Laderman, Vol. 4. Laderman Simões (world premiere recording) with the Yale Cellos, Aldo Parisot, conductor. Albany Records, 2001. TROY454

Select Press Reviews

• "The Dallas-based ensemble has made regular autumn New York appearances for several years. I have reviewed their performances favorably in these pages before, but this concert, with Figueroa as guest artist, was surely the finest of their series to date. The programme seemed ideally balanced. Haydn's Trio in C Major, Hob. XV: 21 was a welcome opener. Pianist David Korevaar, violinist Arkady Fomin, and cellist Jesús Castro-Balbi collaborated on a lively and spirited account in which full value was given to its more reflective measures. Fomin and Castro-Balbi were heard next in Kodály's Duo, Op. 7 and both players were energetic, expressively eloquent and alert to the shifting colours. The central Adagio found them at their very best. […] a carefully prepared, compelling performance. Balance among the four was ideal, without a wasted motion throughout." Dennis Rooney, The Strad Magazine, January 2014. (On a performance with the Clavier Trio and Guillermo Figueroa. Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, October 6, 2013.)
• "[…] a particularly congenial atmosphere in which there were no major egos and everyone was happy to share their time and wisdom. […] Castro-Balbi […] certainly has ambitions for the festival, the imagination, and the drive to keep it moving forward. This was the biennial event's fourth incarnation, and each one has had more features." Ariane Todes, The Strad Magazine, June 2013. (On TCU Cellofest, March 7-9 2013.)
• "A beautifully conceived program of music for cello and piano. [Cellist Castro-Balbi and pianist Gloria Lin] have performed widely as individuals, but their musical marriage adds a special dimension to their careers, both as performers and as faculty members at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. […] An excellent recital." Rorianne Schrade, New York Concert Review, April 1, 2012. (On a performance with the Lin / Castro-Balbi Duo. Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, March 25, 2012.)
• "This trio is absolutely without question world-class. […] The cellist was absolutely remarkable." Robin McNeil, Opus Colorado, November 7, 2011. (On a performance with the Clavier Trio. Grusin Hall, University of Colorado at Boulder, November 6, 2011.)
• "The Clavier Trio, based in Dallas, Texas, has been playing annual concerts in New York for several years […] and has shown steady tonal improvement, particularly the partnership between violinist Arkady Fomin and cellist Jesús Castro-Balbi, which is characterized by rare musical and tonal agreement." Dennis Rooney, The Strad Magazine, May 2008. (On a performance with the Clavier Trio. Will Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, February 10, 2008.)
• "[…] exceptionally good. The trio's highly polished ensemble work was in evidence, as Beethoven's rhythmic nuances and subtle complexities were unusually clear. In Ravel's masterful trio from 1914, the passion amongst the players was infectious. […] Its more tender moments sounded as though Ravel was on stage talking to us from the heart." Anthony Aibel, New York Concert Review, Winter 2008. (On a performance with the Clavier Trio. Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, October 7, 2008.)
• "[Castro-Balbi] got an ecstatic reaction, including a couple of standing ovations before and after he played an encore." Patricia Miller, The Durango Herald, April 7, 2007. (On a performance of Tchaikovsky's "Rococo Variations" with the Music in the Mountains Festival Orchestra and Mischa Semanitzky. Festival Tent at Durango, Colorado, August 5, 2007.)
• "By far the best part of a good evening was an international-class performance of Dvorák's Cello Concerto. An exceptional cellist, Jesús Castro-Balbi […] created magic with an approach that was bold when it had to be but often mellow and always subtle. His experience as a chamber musician showed in his interaction with the orchestra, most notably in some wonderful interplay in the final movement between him and [the] concertmaster." Olin Chism, The Dallas Morning News, September 2, 2005. (On a performance of Dvorák's Cello Concerto with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Miguel Harth-Bedoya. Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth, September 1, 2005.)
• "Jesús Castro-Balbi turned in a performance worthy of any concert stage in the world. […] Castro-Balbi proved himself an artist of the first rank, from the first dark, ear-grabbing notes he played in Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor. […] Castro-Balbi turned in a performance that will be remembered for years to come. He commanded a huge range of volume, timbre and emotions, by turn whispering, proclaiming or reminiscing." Wayne Lee Gay, The Star-Telegram, September 2, 2005. (On a performance of Dvorák's Cello Concerto with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Miguel Harth-Bedoya. Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth, September 1, 2005.)

References

External links

• Jesús Castro-Balbi Official Website
• TCU Cello Studio
• TCU Cellofest
• Faculty & Friends Chamber Music Series
• TCU School of Music