Miguel J. Martínez “Viriato”
Miguel J. Martínez "Viriato"
Born in Biar, Alicante, Spain in 1979.
Since September 2007, Miguel is a bass trombonist with the Community of Madrid’s Choir and Orchestra.
He is a founding member of the trombone quartet “2i2quartet,” winners of the Permanent Competition for Young Musicians of Spain in 2001, with whom he participates in performances and teaching. He is also a member of the Spanish Stomvi Trombone Ensemble and the group “Trobada.”
During his musical career, Miguel has collaborated with the Cadaqués Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Spain, the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, the Extremadura Symphony Orchestra, the Navarra Symphony Orchestra, the Príncipe de Asturias Symphony Orchestra, Valencia’s Orchestra, the Mozart Orchestra, the Florence Maggio Musicale Orchestra, the Paris Opera Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Ile de France, and the Paris Conservatory’s Orchestra. He has worked under the direction of greats such as Claudio Abbado, Sir Neville Marriner, Peter Schnaider, Kurt Masur, G. N. Rozhdestvensky, Lior Sambadal, A. Lombart, J. López Cobos, and R. Frühbeck de Burgos, among others. He has also been a part of many youth orchestras such as the Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchester from 2005 to 2006, the Community of Valencia’s Youth Orchestra from 2002 to 2004, the Community of Valencia Musical Society’s band in 2002, and Spain’s National Youth Orchestra in 1999.
He has also performed as a soloist in various musical ensembles such as the Community of Valencia’s Youth Symphony Orchestra, Valencia’s “Filharmonía” Orchestra, the Alicante Municipal Band, and at recitals at Valencia’s Colegio Mayor Lluis Vives, the Spanish Brass Festival Spanish Brass in 2006, and at the International Trombone Festival in París in 2012.
He was invited by Spanish Brass Luur Metalls to record their album SBALZ in May of 2007, under the direction of Christian Lindberg.
In August of 2007, Miguel recorded an album as a soloist with Xixona’s artistic and musical Ensemble “El Trabajo,” performing the band version of “Díptic del Tirant” which was later presented at the Frankfurt Book Festival in 2007 and dedicated to the Catalan nation. This project was undertaken by Alicante University’s investigative project “IVITRA” with the collaboration of the Cervantes Institute.
In January 2010, he recorded his second album, 2i2 versos, with his group 2i2quartet in which personal highs for him were his solo performance in the original version of “Díptic del Tirant” and the piece “Être ou ne pas être” by French composer H. Tomasi.
In 1995, he was awarded 1st Prize at the “Ruperto Chapi” Competition for Young Musicians in Villena and in 1998, participated in the recording of Stojowsky’s “Fantasía” for Trombone and Piano to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of said competition.
From 1996 to 2002, he was a student of the Spanish Brass Academy under the guidance of his professors Indalecio Bonet and Carlos Gil.
At the start of 2002, he decided to switch the tenor trombone for the bass trombone. He also started receiving classes from Stephane Loyer, professor at the Spanish National Radio and Television Orchestra (O.R.T.V.E.)
In 2003, he received an Advanced Degree in Trombone with the highest possible recognition from Valencia’s “Joaquín Rodrigo” Conservatory of Music.
From 2003 to 2006, he was a student at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris, under the guidance of Claude Chevaillier and Olivier Devaure. He was also awarded a grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport and Valencia’s Institute of Music.
In June 2006, he obtained the Prize for Bass Trombone with recognition from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris.
Miguel José plays the Titán line of instruments from Stomvi and also collaborates with Stomvi’s president, Vicente Honorato, in the research and development of the bass trombone.
