Álvaro Albiach / Isabel Villanueva / Orquesta de Extremadura JOSÉ ZÁRATE The Future Heritage

José Zárate is a composer, pianist and European Doctor in Musicology from the Oviedo University. He is considered by critics, musicologists and musicians to be one of the most significant young composers of Spanish music. He finished his university years with an outstanding doctoral thesis in Spanish and Italian: The pianistic language of the Nueva Música group, which depicts the difficulties the group had when trying to find a common linguistic and aesthetic way of expressing themselves without sharing the same ideas. Zárate’s dissertation deals with extraordinary composers such as Ramón Barce, Luis de Pablo, Cristóbal Halffter or Antón García Abril.

Zárate has composed many works for symphonic orchestra, works for string orchestra, chamber music and pieces for choir a capella. His numerous piano compositions have been played all over the world. He has performed widely throughout Spain, Italy and France. The Spanish National Radio (RNE) has recorded his complete collection of piano works, which delighted the Madrid audience when they were played at the 11^th edition of the International Piano Competition Spanish Composers in 2010.

His music has been performed by prestigious orchestras such as the National Orchestra of Spain, the orchestra of the Spanish National Television (RTVE), the Greenwich String Quartet and other European symphony orchestras and choirs. In addition, his piano pieces have been studied by some of the most prestigious pianists in Europe for example Ituarte, Corazziari, Menor, Cardi, Perianes or Morales. José Zárate’s works have been conducted by renowned conductors such as Laszlo Heltay, Pedro Halffter, Christoph König, Adrian Leaper, Christopher Wilkins and Thomas Rösner, among others. 

José Zárate not only holds a very active position in the Spanish Society of Authors and Publishers (SGAE) defending the rights of his fellow composers, but also lectures at University.