Spanish Young Music Talents: Tomás Ocaña in Washington, DC

Spanish clarinetist and composer Tomás Ocaña gives a recital at the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain as part of the “Spanish Young Music Talents” program.

Program

• Serenade for Strings in E major, Op. 22 (selection): Moderato, Larghetto, Tempo di Valse.

Tomás Jesús Ocaña González

• (des) Montaje for solo clarinet: III. Mouthpiece + barrel + upper-joint – for solo clarinet.
• Sehr Langsam – for chamber orchestra.

Carl Maria von Weber

• Concertino for clarinet in E-flat major, op. 26.

About Tomás Ocaña

Tomás Jesús Ocaña González (1999) studied Clarinet and Composition Bachelors at the Conservatory of Music in Málaga, Spain. He is currently studying a Master’s in Composition at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt, Germany, with the support of one of the scholarships awarded by the Fundación Málaga and by the Deutschlandstipendium. During these years he has complemented his training in national and international courses, focused on the interpretation of the clarinet and the composition of contemporary music.

He has participated in interpretation courses with soloists of the stature of Jose Luis Estellés, Annelien van Wauwe or the soloists of the Ensemble Modern of Frankfurt. He has completed his Bachelor studies with Diana Pérez Custodio and Abel Paúl López de Viñaspre. He currently receives classes from Orm Finnendhal and Ulrich
Kreppein at the HfMDK in Frankfurt.

His most recent awards include 1st Prize at the Composition Contest for Chamber Orchestra José Andreu Navarro (2021) and 1st Prize at the XXXII edition of the SGAE-CNDM Foundation Young Composers Award (2021). During the 2022/23, season he has also been the resident composer of Juventudes Musicales España.

About Ernesto Lima-Parets

Born in Havana, Cuba, Ernesto Lima-Parets entered Cuba’s Art Education Schools System at age 9, earning degrees in percussion, music education, and choral conducting. In 2020, he received a full scholarship for a master’s degree in Conducting at Georgia State University.

His professional journey includes roles like Assistant Conductor of the National Chorus of Cuba, Principal Conductor of D’Profundis Chamber Choir, and Conductor/Coordinator of the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic/ISA Orchestra. He served as Musical Director and Conductor of Mano a Mano Vocal Ensemble, touring 14 states in 2016 and recording with Broadway composer Jeff Marx.

Having collaborated with various orchestras and choirs in Cuba, he received awards from the National Council of the Performing Arts and the Ministry of Culture. As a teacher, Lima-Parets was a Graduate Assistant at Georgia State University and Professor at the University of the Arts in Havana, National School of Music, and Conservatory of Music in Pinar del Rio.

Currently on the faculty at the Washington Conservatory of Music, Ernesto Lima-Parets collaborates with Maestro Ángel Gil-Ordóñez at Georgetown University Orchestra, serves as the Musical Director and Conductor of the Takoma Mandoleers, and works with the Alliance for New Music-Theatre in the DC area.

About DC Strings

DC Strings Workshop serves diverse and underprivileged communities of all ages across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia by providing year-round opportunities in youth education, music programming, and performances from the Accord Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles with an unwavering focus on creating equitable and comprehensive access to the arts.

About SYMT

Spanish Young Music Talents (SYMT) is the new program of the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in Washington, DC. SYMT has been envisioned to enhance and support Spanish young musicians’ careers, in collaboration with U.S. music schools and universities at a higher level (bachelor and graduate students orchestras), offering them an experience abroad.

SYMT aims to offer young musicians not only a concert or recital in the U.S., but a complete experience with complementary activities such as masterclasses, talks, conferences, etc. to broaden their opportunities and contacts. All visiting musicians are winners of the Juventudes Musicales de España national award and under 30 years old.