Ollantay Velásquez

Latin Grammy Winner 2023, Ollantay Velásquez is a renowned Venezuelan violinist and conductor born on January 13, 1981, in Puerto La Cruz, Anzoátegui State, Venezuela. His musical journey began in 1989 when he started his musical studies in theory and violin under the tutelage of Alcides Maestre in Carúpano. In the same year, Ollantay joined the Children's Symphony Orchestra of Carúpano and the Symphony Orchestra of Sucre State. He quickly made a name for himself in the music industry, in November 1991, he became a member of the violin section of the "Antonio Vivaldi" Chamber Orchestra. He went on to participate in international tours in Argentina and the Caribbean Islands, where he visited Saint Vicent, Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico and Santa Lucía. Ollantay's talent and hard work earned him numerous accolades and awards, including first place in the Children and Young Musicians Competition held in the city of Córdoba, Argentina, in August 1992. He also performed as a soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of the Municipality of Rosario and with the Symphony Orchestra of Santa Fé. In August 1994, he joined the Symphony Orchestra of Anzoátegui State as the Principal of the First Violins, and the following year, he obtained the position of Concertino. Ollantay has also served as a Concertino in symphony orchestras such as: Children's Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, Ibero-American Youth Symphony Orchestra, MERCOSUR Symphony Orchestra (Brazil), and in 2005 in the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, with which he participated in a tour throughout the American continent. Ollantay's expertise in conducting has also gained him significant recognition. He has conducted orchestras such as the Jose Francisco Del Castillo Youth Symphony Orchestra, Simón Bolívar Conservatory Youth Orchestra, Anzoátegui Youth Symphony Orchestra, Juan José Landaeta Symphony Orchestra, and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra. He was also the Artistic Director of the Simón Bolívar Chamber Orchestra. Ollantay has also founded and performed with several successful quartets throughout his career. He founded and served as the first violin of the prestigious Millennium Quartet in 2000, which performed numerous concerts in important venues worldwide. In 2012, he founded the Libertadores Quartet, with which he participated in important tours and concerts in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, London, Japan, Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, Peru, Colombia, among others. Apart from his violin studies, Ollantay has also pursued conducting studies under the guidance of maestros such as José Antonio Abreu, Teresa Hernández, Alfredo Rugeles, Eduardo Marturet, Dick Van Gasteren, among others. He has also received Master Classes with notable teachers, including Donald Weilerstain (USA), Felicitas Hoffmeister (Berlin Philharmonic), and Jean-Jacques Kantorow (France). In 2016, Ollantay became the Musical Director of the Jose Francisco Del Castillo Youth Symphony Orchestra, in 2018 he became the Concermaster of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra. Currently, he serves as the Assistant Conductor of The Miami Symphony Orchestra since 2023. Ollantay is has won the 2023 Latin Grammy as a Conductor in the category of Best Classical Music Album as the Music Conductor of “Huascar Barradas Four Elements Immersive Symphony for Orchestra and Chorus” with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and the Simón Bolívar National Choir, an album that also received the Pepsi Music Award.

Ig: @ollantay.velasquez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IG3L0q3ADY