Musikalische Leitung: Xaime Irisarri Izquierdo

Galician conductor Xaime Irisarri understands music as a direct and powerful form of communication, capable of conveying complex ideas and a wide range of emotions to the audience. His artistic work is guided by values such as authenticity and adaptability, with a strong focus on creating meaningful connections between musicians and listeners.

Since 2024, he serves as assistant conductor of the Joven Orquesta Leonesa, with which he maintains regular collaborations following his debut with the ensemble in 2022. Early this year, Irisarri will assist maestro Federico Santi in Conservatorium Maastricht’s upcoming operatic production, as well as appear in concerts with Nefelibata Music Collective and Maastricht Clarinet Ensemble.

In December 2025, he was invited as a finalist among more than 80 candidates in the assistant conductor selection process of the Real Filharmonía de Galicia. That same month, he also assisted maestro Arjan Tien in his Mahler Ninth Symphony project in Maastricht.

Over recent seasons, Irisarri has developed a broad conducting profile encompassing a wide variety of repertoire. He was founder and chief conductor of the Ensemble-Orquesta de Cuatro Caminos (Madrid, 2021–2024), leading the ensemble in symphonic, choral, operatic, and experimental projects. His operatic work includes Suor Angelica (Puccini) and The Telephone (Menotti), as well as assistant conductor roles in Falstaff (Verdi) and La prova di un’opera seria (Gnecco). He has worked with conductors such as Nuno Coelho, Dimitris Botinis, and Jaume Santonja, collaborating with orchestras including the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra (RTVE), the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León (OSCyL), and the Principado de Asturias Symphony Orchestra (OSPA).

His activity also extends to choral and contemporary music. He has served as chief conductor of the Nayru Pop Choir (Madrid, 2023–2025), collaborated with several Spanish choirs, and is the founder and artistic director of the Joven Festival Sacro (JoFeSac) in Madrid. He has premiered works by Guillermo Buendía, Aday Cartagena, and Andrés Gosálvez, and collaborates regularly with Nefelibata Music Collective and CoMA in Maastricht.

Looking ahead, his artistic vision is grounded in authenticity and historically informed performance, alongside a strong commitment to exploring new concert formats that engage both traditional and new audiences. Through continued study and the development of his own projects, he aims to contribute to a more vibrant and accessible classical music landscape.

Irisarri completed his Bachelor’s degrees in orchestral conducting (with maestro Borja Quintas) and clarinet performance (with prof. Cristo Barrios) in Madrid, following earlier musical training in Galicia with Felipe González Agell. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in orchestral conducting at the Conservatorium Maastricht.

Solistin:

Raquel Alberca Iglesias is a spanish oboist and english horn player currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt, where she studies with Professor Fabian Menzel. She completed her Bachelor’s studies at the Conservatori del Liceu in Barcelona under the guidance of César Altur de los Mozos.

She has gained extensive orchestral experience as a member of several youth and professional ensembles in Spain and Germany. These include the Joven Orquesta Nacional de Cataluña (JONC) as english horn player, the Joven Orquesta Leonesa (JOL) and the Junge Philarmonie Karlsruhe as oboist, as well as collaborations with ensembles such as Cappella Aquileia and the Mittelhessisches Kammermusikensemble. Since 2025, she has been a member of the Neues Philharmonie München Youth Orchestra, as oboe and english horn.

In addition to her orchestral activity, Raquel has participated in numerous masterclasses with renowned oboists, including Kai Frömbgen, Jérôme Guichard, Ralph van Daal and Miriam Pastor, and is actively involved in chamber music projects.

Komponist:

Awarded the First Prize at the X Composition Competition of the Winter International Arts Festival of Sochi (2024), Aday Cartagena’s music has been performed in Spain, Germany, Russia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Costa Rica, and programmed by institutions such as the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, the Instituto Cervantes in Hamburg, and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid. He has taken part in festivals including Hamburg Dialogues, the Winter International Arts Festival of Sochi, Escena Xixón, the Madrid Chamber Opera Festival, and Ópera en Minúscula at the Auditorio de Tenerife. 

He has collaborated with internationally renowned artists. Under the artistic direction of Hansel Cereza (founding member of La Fura dels Baus), he composed the original soundtrack for the 2025 Princess of Girona Awards ceremony. He has also worked with flamenco singer Marina Heredia, pianist Andrey Yaroshinsky, and conductors Pablo Heras-Casado and Andrés Salado, with whom he created the theme music for the radio segment “La alboreá” for Spanish National Radio.

His creative language maintains a close relationship with dance, collaborating with the Flick Flock Danza company and with performers such as Maribel Gallardo, former principal dancer of the Spanish National Ballet.