The musician, born in Lima, won the spot in the Centenary Orchestra now in February and premieres in August
Violinist Eduardo Rios, who was a student of Femusc during the sixth edition of the event, was approved at the last audition of the Berlin Philharmonic (Berliner Philharmoniker), one of the most prestigious orchestras in the world. He became the first Peruvian musician to win a post in the institution’s 140 years. In August of this year, Eduardo debuts as a violinist at the Philharmonic and, after playing for two probative years, he may have the position officially confirmed by another test.
Eduardo Rios won the position at the Berlin Philharmonic after a journey that included courses, competitions and international festivals, such as FEMUSC. It describes the process as unexpected, but the result of a series of events that have connected. “I didn’t have in mind auditioning for Berlin, but of course I always dreamed of being able to play with this orchestra at some time in my life”, says Eduardo, who signed up during a vacation trip to Germany. To his surprise, he was selected in the first phase and had less than a month to prepare for the final assessment. “They invited me on January 3rd, and the other audition was already on January 30th.”
Eduardo says that this achievement represents much more than a personal milestone, but also a feat for musicians with the same origin as him. “I feel that in Latin America there is a lot of talent that, regrettably, due to lack of cultural support, cannot be used. I hope that this achievement can generate more visibility and open more doors to musicians from Peru and all of Latin America.”
The trajectory of Eduardo Rios and the importance of FEMUSC in the career
Eduardo’s passion for music began in his childhood, in Lima, Peru. “My parents are not musicians, but music has always been present at home. My father liked classic rock, like Led Zeppelin and The Beatles, while my mother listened to the only classical music radio in the country.” It was through this radio that Eduardo’s mother heard for the first time about a music teacher who arrived in the city. Knowing the boy, she agreed to offer classes for him, despite the financial difficulties that the family faced.
With the success in these classes, Eduardo debuted as a soloist at the age of 14 in the National Symphony Orchestra (OSN), the main and oldest in Peru. At the age of 15, he traveled to the United States for the musical exchange Traveling Note and, during the program, was called for an improvement in Armenia. On this trip to Europe, the violinist met conductor Alex Klein, founder and artistic director of FEMUSC, who personally invited him to participate in the festival the following year, 2012.
At FEMUSC, Eduardo Rios was part of the Serioso project, a program that prepares select students to play in rope quartets. This formation, essential in classical music, consists of two violins, a viola and a cello. Eduardo Rios remembers how the project, then led by Professor Richard Young, from New York, boosted his international career, beyond the musical scope.
“Richard Young had very high expectations for the level I wanted us to play, I wanted us to practice a lot and know how to rehearse better”, says Eduardo. “But it wasn’t just that. He also taught us other skills of a musician, such as public speaking. Each of the students had to learn, in their language, to talk about the composer and the play we were playing.”
The violinist says that Femusc’s demand changed his perspectives as a young musician. “At that time, I didn’t practice much, and the classes with Richard made me realize how difficult it is to be well prepared to perform. It was a stage in my life when I didn’t know how difficult it was to be a professional musician. It’s just about having talent, but about what you do with your talent.”
This was a turning point in Eduardo’s career. According to him, his outstanding participation and the skills developed at Femusc helped him to join the Colburn School Conservatory of Music, a popular institution in California. There, he obtained the Bachelor of Music and the Artist Diploma — an advanced graduate program for highly qualified musicians.
During the years in this conservatory, he dived even more into the musical universe and began to practice up to seven hours a day. “In my third year in Colburn, I won first place in the Sphinx contest, which is geared towards minorities in classical music. This gave me much more confidence and was able to perform as a soloist with several renowned orchestras from the United States.” From then on, Eduardo had remarkable passages through orchestras and international contests, experiences that prepared him to conquer his biggest challenge, at the Berlin Philharmonic.
