Luis Cabrera - Double Bass

Born in Spain in 1985, Luis Cabrera began playing double bass at the age of 10. After finishing his studies in Madrid, where he studied with Professor Rafael de Frias and later with Karen Martirossian, he moved to London in 2002 to complete his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama under Professor Rinat Ibragimov. Luis then completed a Master's degree at "Hans Eisler University" in Berlin under the guidance of Professor Janne Saksala).

After receiving numerous awards and scholarships, at the age of 20, principal double bass of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, in Amsterdam From then on, he was invited to play as guest principal double bass with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, BBC Symphony, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English National Opera, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Northern Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Amsterdam Sinfonietta among others, where he played under the baton of most distinguished conductors and soloists.

In contemporary repertoire in ensembles such as Archangel, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the London Sinfonietta, BandArt, or the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orquesta Nacional de Espana, among others. Luis is very active as a chamber musician, soloist, and teacher. These engagements often take him to Portugal, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Argentina, Mexico, Greece, Peru, Colombia, Hong Kong, and, of course, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, where he has performed both solo and in small groups in venues such as Wigmore Hall, Barbican Hall, LSO St Luke's, Het Concertgebouw, De Doelen, Den Haag KonCon, and Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid, among others.

Luis joined the teaching staff of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 2012 and has been a visiting teacher and coach at several colleges and youth orchestras including CSKG in Madrid, CSMA in Zaragoza, Forum Musikae and JONDE. Since 2018, he has also been a professor at the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music (CODARTS).

Luis has recorded with several chamber groups for labels including EMI Classics and Pentatone, and has collaborated with BBC Radio 3's prestigious New Generation Artists program. Since 2021 Luis has joined the online educational and performance platform String Virtuoso as a featured artist.

Luis plays a double bass built by Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi, circa 1770, on loan from the collection of the Dutch Musical Instrument Foundation (NMF).