Asier Polo, 2019 Spanish National Music Prize

The jury of the 2019 Spanish National Music Prize has awarded this prize to cellist Asier Polo, in the Performance category.

The jury has decided to grant the award to Asier Polo, «for his artistic excellence as a performer and for his long international concert career.» In addition to «its approach to the great repertoire», the jury has highlighted «its commitment to Spanish music and, especially, to contemporary music». They also highlight his «numerous musical recordings» and his «relevant» «teaching facet.»

Asier Polo studied in Bilbao, Madrid, Köln and Basel with teachers such as E. Pascu, M. Kliegel and I. Monighetti and received master classes from J. Starker, N. Gutman or M. Rostropovich. He soon began to stand out when he won the first Cello and chamber music Prize at the Juventudes Musicales of Spain Competition.

 Considered by critics as one of the most important cellists of his generation, Polo has worked as a soloist with some of the main orchestras in the international arena under important conductors such as John Axelrod, Pinchas Steinberg, Christian Badea, Rafael Frühbeck of Burgos, Claus Peter Flor, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Günther Herbig, Juanjo Mena, Antoni Wit or Anne Manson. He has also shared the stage with artists such as Silvia Marcovici, Nicolás Chumachenco, Sol Gabetta, Maxim Rysanov, Isabelle van Keulen, Josep Colom, Eldar Nebolsin, Gérard Caussé, Cuarteto Janácek, Cuarteto Casals or the great tenor Alfredo Kraus, who invited him in the last years of his career to collaborate as a soloist in his recitals.

Polo is a performer committed to contemporary music, especially of Spanish composers. Impeller of new works, composers such as Gabriel Erkoreka, Jesús Torres, Luis de Pablo, Jesús Villa-Rojo, Fernando Velázquez and Antón García Abril have dedicated their concerts for cello to Asier Polo. A repertoire that has managed to combine with the great classics, ranging from Bach suites to works of romanticism and contemporary music.

His career includes 17 record works that cover the most relevant of the Spanish works for cello. His solo career has been recognized with numerous awards such as «El Ojo Crítico» de Radio Nacional de España (2002) and the CEOE Foundation Award for Musical Performance (2004).