Jesús López-Cobos
Encyclopedia
Jesús López-Cobos is a Spanish conductor
.
López-Cobos was born in Toro
, Zamora
, Castile-León, Spain
. He studied at Complutense University of Madrid
and graduated with a degree in philosophy. Later he studied conducting with Franco Ferrara
and with Hans Swarowsky
at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna
.
From 1981 to 1990 he was general music director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin
and from 1984 to 1988 he was music director
of the Orquesta Nacional de España
. From 1986 to 2000 he served as principal conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
, and from 1990 to 2000 he was principal conductor of the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne
. From 2003 to 2010 he has been music director of the Teatro Real
in Madrid
.
He is a National Patron of Delta Omicron
, an international professional music fraternity.
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
López-Cobos was born in Toro
Toro, Zamora
Toro is a town and municipality in the province of Zamora, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is located on a fertile high plain, northwest of Madrid at an elevation of 740 meters....
, Zamora
Zamora (province)
Zamora is a Spanish province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.The present-day province of Zamora province was one of three provinces formed from the former Kingdom of León in 1833, when Spain was re-organised into 49 provinces.It is bordered by...
, Castile-León, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He studied at Complutense University of Madrid
Complutense University of Madrid
The Complutense University of Madrid is a university in Madrid, and one of the oldest universities in the world. It is located on a sprawling campus that occupies the entirety of the Ciudad Universitaria district of Madrid, with annexes in the district of Somosaguas in the neighboring city of...
and graduated with a degree in philosophy. Later he studied conducting with Franco Ferrara
Franco Ferrara
Franco Ferrara was an Italian conductor.After obtaining diplomas in piano, violin, organ and musical composition at the Conservatory of Bologna, Ferrara began his career as violin player in Bologna, in Rome and in Florence, with the Orchestra of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino...
and with Hans Swarowsky
Hans Swarowsky
Hans Swarowsky was an Austrian conductor of Hungarian birth and Jewish descent.Swarowsky was born in Budapest, Hungary. He studied the art of conducting under Felix Weingartner and Richard Strauss...
at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
From 1981 to 1990 he was general music director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Deutsche Oper Berlin
The Deutsche Oper Berlin is an opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Germany. The resident building is also home to the Berlin State Ballet.-History:...
and from 1984 to 1988 he was music director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
of the Orquesta Nacional de España
Orquesta Nacional de España
The Orquesta Nacional de España is a symphonic orchestra based in Madrid, Spain.-History:Although working since in 1937 during the Spanish civil war, the orchestra was legally founded in 1940, by the merging of the Perez Casas' Filarmónica and the Orquesta Sinfónica of Arbós...
. From 1986 to 2000 he served as principal conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
As the fifth oldest orchestra in the United States, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has a legacy of fine music making as reflected in its performances in historic Music Hall, recordings, and international tours...
, and from 1990 to 2000 he was principal conductor of the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne
Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne
The Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne is a Swiss chamber orchestra based in Lausanne, Switzerland.The violinist and conductor Victor Desarzens founded the orchestra in 1942, and served as its first artistic director for 30 years...
. From 2003 to 2010 he has been music director of the Teatro Real
Teatro Real
The Teatro Real or simply El Real , is a major opera house located in Madrid, Spain.-History:...
in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
He is a National Patron of Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron is a co-ed international professional music honors fraternity whose mission is to promote and support excellence in music and musicianship.-History:...
, an international professional music fraternity.
See also
- Lopez Cobos International Opera Conductors CompetitionLopez Cobos International Opera Conductors CompetitionThe López-Cobos International Opera Conductors Competition, pioneer in this speciality, is held in the Teatro Real, Madrid every two years since 2006. The conductors conduct the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, whose members compose the jury...
- Teatro RealTeatro RealThe Teatro Real or simply El Real , is a major opera house located in Madrid, Spain.-History:...
- Deutsche Oper BerlinDeutsche Oper BerlinThe Deutsche Oper Berlin is an opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Germany. The resident building is also home to the Berlin State Ballet.-History:...
- Orchestre de Chambre de LausanneOrchestre de Chambre de LausanneThe Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne is a Swiss chamber orchestra based in Lausanne, Switzerland.The violinist and conductor Victor Desarzens founded the orchestra in 1942, and served as its first artistic director for 30 years...
- Cincinnati Symphony OrchestraCincinnati Symphony OrchestraAs the fifth oldest orchestra in the United States, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has a legacy of fine music making as reflected in its performances in historic Music Hall, recordings, and international tours...
- Spanish National Orchestra
External links
- Jésus López Cobos at the Prince of Asturias Foundation website
- Short biography
- Interview with Jesús López Cobos by Bruce Duffie, August, 1997