Alejandro Espina

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Biography

Alejandro Espina was born in 2002 in Valencia. At the age of eight, he was chosen to join the Escolanía de Valencia, where he began to develop his musical training.

During this stage, he began taking singing and piano lessons and also participated as a singer in various operas at the Palau de les Arts, directed by renowned conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Ricardo Chailly, Lorin Maazel, Roberto Abbado, and Plácido Domingo.

Later, he continued his musical studies in piano at the Professional Conservatory of Music of Valencia with Ana María Peiró and later at the José Iturbi Conservatory with Juan Lago and Vicente Chuliá (with whom he also took conducting and composition classes), where he finished the professional degree with the highest qualifications and obtained the extraordinary prize for piano, chamber music, and the regional prize.

In 2022/2023, he was selected as a student to participate in the Miami International Piano Festival, this time held in Milan, where he received classes with great pianists on the international scene, such as Jorge Luis Prats, Ilya Itin, Francesco Libetta, Dmitry Ablogin, etc.

His performances with orchestra include Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 5 and Ravel’s Concerto in G, as well as different appearances as an orchestra conductor with works such as Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and Nights in Gardens of Spain by Manuel de Falla.

In January 2023, he conducted the recording with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra of the Piano Concerto Op. 4 by the young Spanish composer José Antonio Tolosa.

For seven years, he studied under the tutelage of the maestro Josu de Solaun, from whom he also learned improvisation, composition, conducting, and philosophy of music.

He is currently finishing his bachelor’s degree with pianist Andrey Yaroshinsky at the Katarina Gurska School, where he receives a scholarship to support his career.

• What sparked your passion for music?

  Well, I started my relationship with music very early. My parents would play music in the car, and I began singing naturally. Here in Spain, we have a lot of traditional music, so from childhood I was surrounded by it and sang very naturally.

  At the age of eight, I entered a school famous in my city, Valencia. It is a regular school, but it has a very important choir. I sang there for six years, almost every day. It is a well-known choir here in Valencia, and we performed in many operas and took part in a wide variety of activities. Singing daily at such a young age made it feel completely natural—it became a part of who I am.

  I can’t say there was a single moment when I decided to pursue music. Of course, I’ve had many important musical experiences in my life, but no exact turning point. For me, the process just happened naturally over time.

• Do you have a favorite piece or a composer?

  It is always very difficult to answer this question, because I have so many favorite pieces. For orchestral works, I would say Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov, Mahler’s Second Symphony, and Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony. For piano, I love Rachmaninoff’s First Sonata, but there are many others as well. Beyond the big works, I also have a deep affection for smaller pieces, like Brahms’ First Piano Quartet, which I find very special.

  As for composers, I feel especially close to Mozart and Chopin, as well as the French composers. Debussy is the one I connect with the most, even more than Ravel, although I enjoy Ravel a little more. Still, my heart leans a little more toward Debussy. I also love Russian composers, especially Prokofiev, who I think might be the one I admire most.

• Which particular works or composers do you think you perform the best?

  Probably the ones I already mentioned. I feel especially close to Debussy—I am very inspired when I play his music. The same goes for Chopin and Mozart. But above all, I think I have a natural connection with the French composers. Ravel, Debussy, and Saint-Saëns feel very familiar to me, and their music feels natural to play.

  Of course, I play Spanish composers like Albéniz too. I had almost forgotten to mention that. Spanish music is very important to me, probably because of my roots. Not everyone in Spain automatically feels the same way, but for me, it is quite natural to have a deep appreciation for it. In classical music, especially for piano, I truly love the works of Spanish composers—we are very fortunate to have such a rich repertoire.

• Which performance are you most proud of or resonates with you the most?

  Yes, it’s very difficult to say. Probably the most special performances were the ones where I felt that the audience was especially excited. Of course, I can never truly know what the audience feels, but sometimes you sense something special in the atmosphere—not only when you finish playing, but even while you are performing. Still, I can never be completely sure.

  For example, the times I have performed with an orchestra were very special experiences. When you play with an orchestra, you tend to prepare even more thoroughly—not necessarily because you take it more seriously, but because the occasion naturally feels more demanding. I remember when I performed with an orchestra; I was very well prepared and could really enjoy the moment. I think the audience felt that energy too.

  But there have also been wonderful moments when I played solo or chamber music, which I truly love as well. Those performances were also very meaningful to me. I don’t have one specific story or concert that stands out above all others, but I have many special moments that I cherish.

• Which musician do you like the most, or are you most influenced by?

  Well, as a pianist, I admire many other pianists. I love musicians like Moiseiwitsch, Horowitz, and Hofmann; I feel very close to their way of making music. Among contemporary pianists, I really admire Evgeni Bozhanov, a Bulgarian pianist, and Olli Mustonen, who is Finnish and also a remarkable composer. His music is truly amazing.

  Of course, my teacher Josu de Solaun has been one of my greatest inspirations. He is a Spanish pianist, composer, arranger, and poet who spent many years in the United States. To me, he is like a father, both artistically and personally. He constantly inspires me and has had one of the strongest influences on my life.

• What do you do offstage that inspires your musical artistry onstage?

  Yes, I think it is very important to enrich your imagination and inner world through different types of activities. I like to watch amazing movies, which really inspire me. I also do sports. It is something different, but very good for mental health. Sometimes I just go for a walk, meet friends, or do some light exercise.

  What truly helps my inner world grow is watching films and reading books, which I love. Those activities feed my imagination and help me connect more deeply with my artistic side.

• Do you have any unique practice techniques or routines?

  Well, I think everyone’s process is very different. For example, I do not usually do scales or warm-ups. In other aspects, though, my approach is quite ordinary. I analyze the score and think deeply about the music. It is a very complex process, and honestly, it is not easy to describe. When you are in the moment, you might do one thing one day and spontaneously do something completely different the next.

  I do not have a specific method of practicing. I always try to approach practice creatively rather than mechanically. In the past, I used to repeat things unconsciously, but now I am much more aware of that and try to avoid it. I always look for creative ideas, new ways to explore the limits of my music-making and imagination. Exploring all these possibilities is very important to me.

  With regard to conducting, although I am not formally studying it, I have conducted an orchestra three or four times in concert. I remember the first time very clearly. I had to conduct Bartók’s Third Piano Concerto, and I was extremely nervous. My score was full of numbers, almost like mathematics, because Bartók’s music has many irregular rhythms and changing time signatures.

  In those first experiences, my main focus was on preparation—really knowing the score by heart, understanding which instruments are most important in each section, and studying every detail. But once you step onto the podium, everything changes completely. It feels like another world. All the technical knowledge you’ve memorized must fade into the background, and the process becomes something almost unconscious.

  That is why it is so important to prepare not only intellectually but also physically. You must learn how to move your body and express the music through your gestures. Conducting is not only about knowing the score but also about controlling your expressions and communicating the music in the most natural and efficient way.

  During preparation, I also spend a lot of time singing the parts to understand how everything fits together. I try to avoid conducting along with recordings, because it creates an illusion that you know the score when in fact it is the recording that is guiding you. Relying too much on that can weaken your memory and understanding of the music.

• Are there any dream concerts that you are working towards?

  Yes, I often dream of conducting large symphonies, such as Scheherazade, as I mentioned before, or some of Mahler’s or Mozart’s symphonies. I would also love to perform Bartók’s piano concertos—any of the three, really. Concertos for piano are something I am especially passionate about. It is a genre I truly love. Also, a Spanish piece called Noches en los Jardines de España by Manuel de Falla is one of my favourites.

  I have not had many opportunities to explore it yet, mainly because it is quite difficult to find chances to perform with an orchestra. Perhaps that is why I feel such curiosity and excitement about discovering this side of piano performance.

• What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far and how did you overcome them?

  Probably it was when I had to both conduct and perform. One Friday, I played Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 5 in a concert in Spain. It was an event for pianists and conductors, so we performed with an orchestra. At the time, I was studying both piano and conducting, which made the experience even more special. The following day, on Saturday, I had to conduct Bartók’s Piano Concerto. It was very stressful but also incredibly exciting.

  The next year, I did something similar. I performed Ravel’s Piano Concerto and then, the very next day, conducted Noches en los Jardines de España by Manuel de Falla.

• What do you think is the most important goal when introducing music to children?

  From my experience, I think the most important way to introduce children to music is through singing. It is essential because it allows them to enter the world of music naturally, often without even realizing it. Singing, combined with movement, helps children connect to rhythm and melody in a very organic way. It creates a natural relationship between sound, motion, and expression.

  Once you notice that a child can sing or move rhythmically, showing good intonation and coordination, then it is a good time to introduce an instrument. The child will then play what they already feel inside.

  The problem, in my opinion, is when children start directly with an instrument, like the piano, without first having any experience of music through their body or voice. In that case, the piano can feel more like a computer with keys rather than a living form of expression. That is why I believe singing and moving to music are the most important first steps for any child.

• What do you do when your left hand won’t cooperate?

  I guess… just put the pedal down and play the right hand louder! You could also play slower, and bring out the basses.

• What advice would you give to young or aspiring musicians?

  I think it is very important to sing, and recently I have been reflecting a lot on the works of the great classical composers we all know. I often ask myself what these pieces truly meant to them. What were the roots, the inspiration, or the experiences that led them to write such music?

  I would encourage young people, and remind myself as well, to live fully, to have many experiences and moments that expand the imagination and deepen one’s inner world. These experiences give us a greater ability to understand music and emotion. When you sit in front of a score, it is not only about knowing what the composer wanted, but also about sensing what he felt and why he composed that piece. What was he trying to express? What was at the origin of his inspiration? I think this is extremely important.

  It also helps you find your own path as a musician. Sometimes we feel lost while practicing for months, forgetting why we first connected with a particular piece. It happens to everyone—you start learning a piece, and after several months, that first spark of emotion fades. That is why it is so important to keep regenerating that original feeling through new experiences and reflections. You must never lose sight of the reason you love a piece and what it makes you feel.

Discover more of his musical artistry and personal highlights here!