Polo Asier
Cello
Considered by specialized critics as one of the most important cellists of his generation, Asier Polo has collaborated as a soloist with some of the most prestigious orchestras on the international scene: Philharmonia Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Dresdner Philharmonie, Orchestre de Paris, BBC Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Berliner Symphoniker, National Orchestra of Mexico, São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, National Orchestra of Spain, and Basel Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of distinguished conductors such as John Axelrod, Pinchas Steinberg, Christian Badea, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Claus Peter Flor, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Günther Herbig, Juanjo Mena, Antoni Wit, and Anne Manson.
He has been invited to major musical events such as the festivals of Schleswig-Holstein, Nantes, Ohrid, the Venice Biennale, Rome, Lisbon, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Morelia, Granada, and the San Sebastián Musical Fortnight.
He has shared the stage with artists of the caliber of Silvia Marcovici, Nicolás Chumachenco, Sol Gabetta, Maxim Rysanov, Isabelle van Keulen, Josep Colom, Eldar Nebolsin, Enrico Dindo, Gérard Caussé, the Janáček Quartet, the Casals Quartet, and the great tenor Alfredo Kraus, who in the final years of his career invited him to collaborate as a soloist in his recitals, performing at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Covent Garden, the Royal Opera House, the Tonhalle in Zurich, the Musikverein in Vienna, as well as on a successful tour of the most important concert halls in Japan.
He is distinguished for his commitment to contemporary music, particularly that of his home country. A promoter of new works, composers such as Gabriel Erkoreka, Jesús Torres, Luis de Pablo, Jesús Villa-Rojo, and Antón García Abril have dedicated cello concertos to him.
He has successfully combined contemporary music with the great repertoire of classical literature, ranging from Bach’s Suites to contemporary music (Henri Dutilleux, Cristóbal Halffter, Sofia Gubaidulina), as well as the major classical and Romantic concertos.
His career is documented in 20 recordings that bring together the most significant works of Spanish cello repertoire (José María Usandizaga, Joaquín Rodrigo, Francisco Escudero, Tomás Marco, Carmelo Bernaola, Jesús Rueda, etc.) for labels such as Naxos, Claves, RTVE, Verso, Marco Polo, and IBS Classical. Notable among these is the nomination for the Gramophon Editor’s Choice Award for the CD dedicated to the composer Sofia Gubaidulina (Et’cetera Records), as well as his participation in the DVD Ecos y sombras dedicated to the composer Cristóbal Halffter, performing with the National Orchestra of Spain his Cello Concerto No. 2 (KP Music).
Among his most recent recordings—on the IBS Classical label—are the cello and piano sonatas by Rachmaninov and César Franck with pianist Marta Zabaleta, the cello sonatas by Brahms with pianist Eldar Nebolsin, as well as the cello concertos by Vivaldi, Boccherini, and Haydn with the Seville Baroque Orchestra and Andrés Gabetta, in addition to the six Suites for solo cello by J. S. Bach, his latest work.
In 2021, two important recordings were released with the National Orchestra of Spain under the direction of maestro Juanjo Mena: on one hand, the two cello concertos by Joaquín Rodrigo (Concierto como un Divertimento and Concierto in modo Galante), and on the other, the Cello Concerto No. 2, Op. 50 (1980), by Alberto Ginastera.
Asier Polo studied in Bilbao, Madrid, Cologne, and Basel with teachers E. Pascu, M. Kliegel, and I. Monighetti. He also received valuable guidance from J. Starker, N. Gutman, and M. Rostropovich in various masterclasses. From a young age, he distinguished himself by winning First Prize in cello and chamber music at the National Competition Juventudes Musicales de España.
His career has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Ojo Crítico Prize of Radio Nacional de España (2002), the Fundación CEOE Award for musical performance (2004), and the National Music Prize of the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport (2019). In 2009, he was awarded the title of “Ilustre de Bilbao” (his hometown).
He is frequently invited to serve as a jury member in various national and international cello competitions: Dotzauer Wettbewerb (Germany), Carlos Prieto Competition (Mexico), B. Mazzacurati Competition (Italy), Manhattan International Music Competition (New York), among others, and he gives masterclasses in various countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, etc.
He is professor of cello at the Conservatory of Southern Switzerland in Lugano (Switzerland).
Asier Polo plays a Francesco Rugieri cello (Cremona, 1689), on loan from Fundación Banco Santander.
