Joaquín Valdeón

Graduate in Geography and History, Musicology specialty, from the University of Oviedo and Professor of Viola from the Oviedo Conservatory of Music. He studied singing with María Dolores Suárez, and Baroque singing with Rosmarie Meister. In addition to attending numerous singing, choral and orchestral conducting courses, he further studied conducting with Peter Broadbent in London.

Conductor of various musical ensembles such as the Villa de Jovellanos Choir, the Gijón Anselmo Solar Polyphonic Chapel and the Alfonso II el Casto Choir of Oviedo. In-house conductor of the Choir of the University of Oviedo from 1997 to the present, he has recorded the albums “Calme des Nuits” and “Coro Universitario de Oviedo 1967-2007”, as well as a DVD including the world premiere of the piece “El Sueño Eterno” , for soprano, bass, vocal sextet, choir and symphony orchestra, composed by Guillermo Martínez.

As a Choirmaster, he has worked with Jean Paul Penin, Roberto Tolomelli, Miquel Ortega, Massimiliano Toni, Gregorio Gutiérrez, Óliver Díaz, Maximiliano Valdés, Marin Alsop or Marzio Conti. He has premiered in Asturias Antonín Dvorak’s Stabat Mater for solo quartet, choir, and orchestra.

As conductor, he has premiered in Spain: Magnificat, by Jonathan Willcocks; Gloria, by John Rutter; Eternity’s Sunrise and Little Requiem for Father Malachy Lynch, by John Tavener; Requiem, by Alfred Schnittke or The Armed Man, by Karl Jenkins. In addition to Tabula Rasa and Frates, by Arvo Pärt, or Journey Into Jazz, by Gunther Schuller.

World symphonic premieres: Magistralia op.54, by Luis Vázquez de Fresno; Requiem for Persia, by Ramón Prada; Concerto for Wind Instruments, by Jorge Muñiz; Three Asturian Melodies for Bagpipes and Symphony Qrchestra, by Benito Lauret; Fantasia for Bagpipes and Orchestra, by Baldomero Céspedes; La Voz de los Mansos, by Yónatan Sánchez. Along with absolute symphonic choral premieres such as the Christmas Cantatas Triptych -for three consecutive years-, El Sueño Eterno (all for soloists, choir and orchestra) by Guillermo Martínez, Intemerata Dei Mater (for choir and orchestra) by Israel López Estelche, or Stabat Mater Speciosa by Gabriel Ordás, among others.

He has conducted in several occasions “Los Virtuosos de Moscú”, Forma Antiqva, Superior Orchestra of the Conservatory of Music of Oviedo, Baroque Chamber Orchestra, Monteverdi Brass and Percussion Group, Gonçal Comellas Chamber Orchestra of Barcelona, Young Vetusta Symphony Orchestra, New Millennium Symphony Orchestra of Gijón, City of Oviedo Symphony Orchestra, Principality of Asturias Symphony Orchestra, Oviedo Philharmonic Orchestra, Classical Orchestra of Asturias, or the Orchestra of the University of Oviedo.

In a different note, he has curated several exhibitions. Including Oviedo’s Philharmonic Society Centenary; “La Voz” (Gijón, Oviedo and Madrid) as well as “Ahora toca… la Orquesta” (Gijón, Oviedo and Logroño, praised in the media by Zubin Metha). He has been a music critic in media for more than two decades. He is an Honorary Patron of the Valdés-Salas Foundation.

At the same time he has developed a lesser-known facet as a graphic designer and photographer; he has exhibited his collection of portraits in the Mediadvanced Art Gallery (Gijón), and has curated the first exhibition in Spain exclusively devoted to analog photography (Exhibition Hall of the University of Oviedo). He has also presented art installations (Lai Room, Gijón), also his sculptures in Oviedo and Gijón.