Born in Bogotá. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Waikato in New Zealand (studying under Prof. James Tennant). He is currently pursuing advanced studies at Southern Methodist University in Dallas (USA) under Prof. Andres Diaz. He has won many awards and competitions such as the National Concerto Competition in Christchurch (New Zealand, 2012, first prize), the Lynn Harrell Concerto Competition in Dallas (2014, second prize), and the Pablo Casals International Competition in Budapest (2014, third prize). He has performed with orchestras in Colombia, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, and Hungary. Since he moved to New Zealand (in 2007) he has given more than 100 concerts throughout the Pacific Ocean region with pianist Katherine Austin. At the age of 16 he recorded his début disc with pieces by Gaspar Cassadó, Alberto Ginastera, György Ligeti, and Zoltán Kodály. Upon its release in 2013 it was very favourably reviewed by music critics.
Which people would you invite as guests to your dream dinner party?
Salvador Dalí, Antoni Gaudí, Chuck Close, Arvo Pärt and Pablo Casals.
What is your favorite meal?
I have many favourite dishes but I guess it all comes down to anything that involves beef tenderloin or salmon filet. I also really like duck risotto and sushi.
Do you have a favorite motto or proverb that you live your life by?
Spend time with your loved ones, keep forward, seek knowledge, always aim to be better. And have fun while doing all that.
Which person or people inspire you the most?
For me inspiration can be found anywhere really, but the people that inspire me to always be better and achieve all my goals are my family.
If you were 80 years old, what advice would you give to young people today?
My life motto would probably be the best advice I could give them: "Spend time with your loved ones, keep forward, seek knowledge, always aim to be better. And have fun while doing all that."
What would you like people to say about you?
That I am a good, kind person.
How do you overcome the stage fright? / What is your ritual before going on stage?
I trust all the work I have done before each performance and I always pray to God before I go on stage.
When you perform... who are you playing for?
I like to perform for God and transmit that to the audience. In a way I believe that can it be something the audience will feel inspired by and hopefully remembers.
What job would you least like to do?
Anything that doesn't involve art.
Is there a joke about musicians that you would like to share with us?
Double basses have rhythm.
What's the "most played" non-classical track on your phone?
Kings Meadow Mogwai.
You are on a desert island and can bring only 3 items, what do you bring?
Water, iPhone and matches.
What is your favorite noise/sound? What is the most annoying noise for you?
The sound that I like the most is the sound of water drops hitting water, and the sound that I find most annoying is the sound of two pieces of styrofoam being rubbed against eachother.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Germany.
What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word Tchaikovsky?
At the moment the first word that comes to mind is competition.
What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word competition?
Excitement... and Tchaikovsky.
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