Lander Etxebarria

Viola soloist of the Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa (Spain)

Lander Etxebarria was born in Portugalete (Biscay). He began his violin and viola studies in Bilbao and continued his training in London, Utrecht and Amsterdam, where he graduated with top marks under the tutelage of Keiko Wataya and Nobuko Imai.

As a founding member of the Cuarteto Quiroga, and after training at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid with Rainer Schmidt and Walter Levin, the ensemble quickly won recognition at esteemed competitions such as those in Geneva and Bordeaux. They have also received the RNE’s Ojo Crítico Award in the classical music category, and have toured extensively, performing at concerts and festivals in Europe and South America.

In 2008, he joined the London Symphony Orchestra, where he remained for 12 years, performing in the world’s most important concert halls under the baton of conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Simon Rattle, Colin Davis and John Eliot Gardiner. He has been guest lead violist for orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London, Camerata Salzburg, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and several symphony orchestras in Spain.

Since 2019, he has held the position of viola soloist for the Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa, the city where he lives and performs outstanding chamber music.