Enrique Perez Piquer

A native of Carcaixent (Valencia, Spain), Enrique PÉREZ PIQUER has been the principal clarinet of the Spanish National Orchestra (Orquesta Nacional de España) since 1984. At just 19 years old, he was already principal clarinet of the Madrid Symphony Orchestra (1981-1985). Since 2008, Enrique has been teaching at the prestigious Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid, following his earlier teaching role at the Symphonic Band of Madrid (Banda Sinfónica Municipal de Madrid) from 1982 to 1985.

As a soloist, Enrique Pérez Piquer has performed with some of Spain's leading orchestras, including the Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquesta Clásica de Madrid, Orquesta Filarmónica de Madrid, Filarmonía de España, Orquesta de Cámara Andrés Segovia, and Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León. He has been awarded the Honor Prize and Honorable Mention from the Superior Conservatories of Valencia and Madrid.

Enrique has also earned significant accolades in international competitions. In 1982, he won the 2nd Prize in the Woodwind Soloist Competition of the Spanish Musical Youth, and in 1985, he was a semifinalist in the International Clarinet Competition of Toulon (France). In 1988, he won the 1st Prize in the International Clarinet Competition of the Festival of Reims (France), followed by the 1st Prize in the Clarinet Competition of the City of Dos Hermanas (Spain) in 1991.

He has performed extensively as a soloist with orchestras, professional bands, piano recitals, and chamber music ensembles across Europe and South America. Passionate about clarinet pedagogy and the history of the clarinet in Spain, Enrique is frequently invited to give masterclasses, train clarinet sections of youth orchestras, and guide students, many of whom now hold positions in Spanish and international orchestras, professional bands, and conservatories.

Enrique has premiered numerous works composed for him as a soloist and chamber musician. Highlights include the first European performance of Fantasia Española, op. 17 by Julián Bautista with the Spanish National Orchestra (1996) and the world premieres of Ortzi Isilak by R. Lazkano (2006), Concerto for Clarinet and Symphonic Band by J. Pérez Ribes (2003), and Sonata for Clarinet and Piano by J. V. Peñarrocha (1992). Other premieres include Yortög (2009) and Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (2010) by Octavio Vázquez. In September 2019, he premiered Daniel Sánchez Velasco’s Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra with the Spanish National Orchestra.

His teachers in Spain include Francisco Vidal, José Taléns Sebastiá, José Vicente Peñarrocha, and Lucas Conejero. Abroad, he has studied with renowned clarinetists such as Guy Deplus, Karl Leister, Michele Zukovsky, Anthony Gigliotti, Thomas Friedli, Hans Deinzer, and Hans Rudolf Stadler.