PATRICIO AIZAGA
Musical Director
Ecuador Philharmonic Orchestra
The revered and decorated Ecuadorian conductor, Patricio Aizaga has established an outstanding international career with awards and performances across the globe. Recent engagements have included performances with the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra from Venezuela; the Washington Symphony Orchestra, the Malasyan National Symphony Orchestra, the Cairo Symphony Orchestra (Egypt), the Carlos Chávez Symphony Orchestra (México City); Orquesta Regionale Do Norte-Portugal, the Salvador National Symphony Orchestra, the Nicaragua National Symphony and the Andean Countries Symphony Orchestra (made up of 200 noteable musicians).
Among the international soloists that Mr. Aizaga has collaborated with are Joshua Bell, Pip Clarke, David Kim, Frederic Chiu, Yegor Dyashkov, Eugene Fodor, Jerome Rose, Roberto Bravo, Jeffrey Chappell, Leslie Wright, William Molina, Valdemar Rodriguez, Carlos Prieto, Mike Stood and the Trio D`Ante from Vienna.
His operatic conducting activities have included many renowned international singers including soloists from Teatro Colón-Buenos Aires, Cristina Park (Korea), Fabio Andreotti (Italy), Juan Tomás Martínez (Venezuela), William Alvarado (Venezuela), Hernán Iturralde (Argentina) and Gabriela Tucci (Italy).
Mr. Aizaga has conducted at the Organization of American States in Washington D.C.; UNESCO-Paris, Philharmonie Berlin Hall, Nikolaisaal Potsdam, Hannover Konzerthaus, Teatro Teresa Carreño from Venezuela, Palace for the Arts Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur, Palace Obere Rathaushalle -Bremen, Cairo Opera House from Egypt, Art`s Center from México City.
Patricio Aizaga is currently Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Ecuador Philharmonic Orchestra (Orquesta Filarmónica del Ecuador), an outstanding symphony orchestra sponsored by the Ecuadorian State. The 2007/08 season saw remarkable success. Prior to this position, Mr. Aizaga was Conductor of the Bach Chamber Orchestra (Quito) from 1987 to 1990. From 1991 to 1995 he was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Guayaquil Symphony Orchestra and from 1995 to the present he has become the leader and founder (chosen by Venezuelan Maestro José Antonio Abreu) of the Ecuadorian Youth Symphony Orchestras Foundation, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education from Ecuador.
He studied music, composition and conducting in Ecuador under the guidance of his father, Claudio Aizaga, a prominent Latin American composer, pianist and conductor. Also he studied conducting at Indiana University, Bloomington, under Professor Robert Porco and conducting courses at the American Symphony Orchestra League. He took part in master classes under Lorin Maazel, Maurice Abravanel, Gunther Herbig, Harold Faberman, Gustav Meier and Daniel Lewis.
For his achievements Mr. Aizaga is the recipient of national and international recognition and awards which have included:
In 1991 the "Ecuadorian Youth Outstanding Award".
In 1999 he received the international title of "UNESCO´S Artist for Peace", given by UNESCO - París.
In 1998 and 2003 he was decorated by the National Congress of Ecuador.
In 2000 he was honored with the medal of the Venezuelan Youth Symphony Orchestras System, given by José Antonio Abreu.
In 2003 he was again honored internationally by UNESCO in recognition for "Achievements in Musical Education, contribution and development of Ecuador towards International Community", given by Koichiro Matsuura, General Secretary of UNESCO.
In 2008, he received the prize "Ecelencia Educativa" given by Fundación para la Integración de América Latina.
REVIEWS
"Aizaga was in complete command of every single section of the orchestra …he carries out the music in his blood"
Diario El Comercio, Quito-Ecuador
March 2nd 2008
"… the brilliant presence and personality of Patricio Aizaga were widely projected during the spectacular version of Mahler´s Titan"
Diario El Comercio, Quito-Ecuador
May 11th 2007
Verdi´s Requiem
"… A real harmonic atmosphere was produced, while voices and instruments under the electrifying baton of Aizaga captured mystically the audience"
Diario Hoy, Quito-Ecuador
November 28th 2007
"The conductor, Patricio Aizaga, is an incandescent spark. His Latin vitality and love of line keeps his electricity under control- no burst fuses for Aizaga but dazzle power and a positively electronic quantum speed and tempo. He produced huge walls of light and sound without once being heavy or repetitive."
Al Ahram , David Blake, Cairo-Egypt
June 20th 2001
"The 'Adagio for strings' by Samuel Barber, and the 'Serenade for Strings' by Anton Dvorak, were transformed into a musical feast due to the masterful interpretation, intensity and sound balance."
El Tiempo, Farah Robles - Honduras
August 2003
" The devoted Maestro Patricio Aizaga conducted the National Symphony Orchestra of Malaysia at the Istana Budaya Palace for the Arts, in the presence of members of the Royal family, this being the first occasion in which a Hispanic conductor performed with this prestigious Orchestra; the public rewarded Aizaga with long and prolonged ovations in recognition of his great artistic quality."
Cultural Gazette, M. Tulio Cordero - Malaysia
March 2001
"The public was captured from the beginning to the end. Members from the Salvador National Symphony Orchestra were totally satisfied by the direction of Aizaga, and referred to him as an "excellent conductor"
El Diario de Hoy, Mauricio Vallejo - El Salvador
August 31st 2003
"Under the direction of Maestro Patricio Aizaga, the orchestras from Ecuador and Venezuela in magnificent union performed the Fifth Symphony of Beethoven, a vibrant, notable version; even in the "andante con moto" and the "allegro finale" that the conductor guided majestically."
El Nacional, Alfredo Rumazo González, Caracas Venezuela
June 21st 1996
"The extraordinary concert under the excellent direction of Aizaga began with the Polonesa from "Eugene Onegin"…, a fervent, standing ovation was received from the audience."
Stuttgart Zeitung, Wolfang Albrecht
September 19th 1997
"Patricio Aizaga, one of the most talented conductors from Latin – American"
Diners Magazine
October 1994
"At the end of the concert, the Ecuadorian Maestro received a large applause that ended with an authentic ovation that called Aizaga to return to the stage several times. Maestro Aizaga is a virtuoso in his field so that he conquered the Egyptian audience, who immediately perceived his excellent direction, vitality and exceptional musicianship."
Cairo-Egypt Cultural Gazzette, Hilda Sisalena
June, 1st 2003