New Artist of the Month by Musical America Worldwide in November 2021 and acclaimed for his exhilarating, passionate performances, innate musicality and technical prowess, Spanish violist Jesus Rodolfo has been praised by The New York Times Digest as, "a star whose light transcends the stage." His expressive interpretations, wide repertoire and command of his instrument’s luminous, dark, rich tones have filled the halls of major venues worldwide.
Since making his professional debut at age 12 in the Auditorio Principe Felipe in Oviedo, Spain, Rodolfo has performed with many of Spain’s foremost orchestras, and his professional relationships with orchestras and presenters worldwide continue to expand.
Upcoming engagements include recitals in Washington D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, as well as the presentation of his project “Romeo&Julio”, the first ever LGBTQ+ multidisciplinary performance/show on Prokofiev’s Ballet after Shakespeare’s idyl of love, his “Pulcinella” multidisciplinary project after his transcription for viola and piano of Stravinsky’s “Suite Italienne”, the premiere of Spanish composer Salvador Brotons’ solo viola sonata, Chelsea Music Festival 2022, WQXR/Pride Month Concert, the premiere of his own viola concerto, and a chamber music project focused on women empowerment.
Among his recent publications, Strings Magazine “Sessions” has just published a video project of Jesus Rodolfo performing Kaija Saariaho’s “Vent Nocturne” for viola and electronics in connection with “Sunrise” by the Italian visual artist Daniela Astone, Argentinian Magazine Opinion Musical Jan/Feb Cover and 7-pager interview, The Strad Magazine Podcast on Jesus’ unique viola Stradivarius replica after Madrid’s Royal Palace 1696 Stradivarius viola “Spanish Court”.
Earlier publications for Jesus Rodolfo include the release of Bach/Huelga/NYC videos, where this visionary artist portrays the feeling of performing solo Bach works, with a resilient New York City, emerging from a long year of lethargy forced by the global COVID pandemic, a preview of his new upcoming album at the High Line Nine Gallery in Hudson Yards, New York with the partnership of Steinway&Sons Pianos, Modern Pressed Flowers and Oscar de la Renta, a set of videos performing piano music by the legendary American film music composer John Williams – which Steinway&Sons published across all its social media platforms globally on Easter Sunday 2021, the release of a four page article written by Jesus Rodolfo on Dear Magazine discussing “The Return of the Performing Arts to New York City”, as well as a project in partnership with The New Yorker, The Related Companies, Hudson Yards Shops and SAP for Christmas 2020.
Jesus Rodolfo has performed with orchestras from Asturias, Barcelona, Cordoba, Gijón, and León, as well as Youth Orquesta Sinfonica del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo Filarmonia, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Mannes Orchestra, Yale Philharmonia, Orquesta del Conservatorio Superior de Música de Oviedo, and the Bratislawa Chamber Orchestra. He premiered Salvador Brotons' Viola Concerto in Poland in 2012 with Bratislawa Chamber Orchestra at Arsenal Festival in Wroclaw. He has appeared in recital at venues including Weill Hall, Carnegie Hall, DiMenna Center for the Arts, Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, HIGHLINENINE, the Norwood Club, LeFrak Hall at Queens College, Saint Stephen’s Church and the Tenri Institute in New York City, at the Embassy of Lithuania, Washington, DC, California’s iPalpiti Festival, Montreal's Contemporary Art Museum, Italy’s The Spheres, and Spain’s Auditorio Nacional de España, Museo del Prado, Museo Carmen Thyssen, Auditorio Luarca, Center Niemeyer, Teatro Jovellanos in Gijon, Teatro Filarmonica in Oviedo, Teatro Cervantes and Teatro Echegaray, to name a few. Music festival credits include Bach International, Bowdoin, Cadiz, Castleton, Chelsea Music, Clasicos en Verano, Malaga#Clasica, Music@Menlo, Washington Arts Ensemble & Embassy Series, and Lucerne Festival in Switzerland. Numerous performances of his have aired on National Classical Radio of Spain, as well as in TV Network and Broadcast in the United States of America
Jesus Rodolfo has released four critically acclaimed recordings to date. His latest album with PENTATONE, “Remembering Russia” has been praised by Musical America Worldwide - “At heart, Jesús Rodolfo is a storyteller who uses four strings and a bow to give voice to his restless imagination.", The Whole Note - “Rodolfo is a terrific player with a gorgeous tone.“ , Opus Klassiek - “Rodolfo shows himself to be a master, feels completely at home in this extremely colorful mixture of different styles, which he is as beautifully highlighted as in its quasi improvisational character.”, among others. This record includes works by Prokofiev, Rachmaninov and Stravinsky.
In summer 2017 he released his first album, Paul Hindemith Sonatas for Viola and Piano on the Skillman Music label. In 2018 he released Transfixing Metamorphosis for Odradek. His latest album is Paul Hindemith Sonatas for Viola Solo (June 2019) for which Scherzo Magazine praised, “There are magic moments, such as the passacaglia that closes the 1919 Sonata, or electrifying, like the unemployed value of the 1922 finale… .”
In November 2020 Jesus released for Beethoven's 250 Anniversary the Single "Moonlight". This score includes the unpublished viola part by the British Composer York Bowen for the famous first movement of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata."
Former guest principal violist of Orquesta Nacional de España and Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, Jesus Rodolfo previously served as Principal Violist and Soloist of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester (GMJO) with the GMJO, he performed all over Europe with such renowned conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Antonio Pappano, Herbert Blomstedt, Ingo Metzmacher and David Afkham.
Jesus’ artistry has been recognized with several honors and awards, including First Prize, Mozart Competition , Manhattan School of Music (2015), First Prize, Mannes College of Music Concerto Competition (2103), the Angel Muñiz Toca prize (2010), the 2008 CajaMadrid Chamber Music and Young Artist Intercentros National competitions, and in 2007, León, Spain’s Young Soloist Competition, as well as finalist at Windsor (2013) and Tertis (2009) Competitions.
Jesús Rodolfo has appeared as well in major music and lifestyle magazines and newspapers (both printed and digital), such us The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Strad, Vanity Fair Spain, Gramophone Magazine, Scherzo Magazine, BBC Music Magazine, El Mundo, Dear Magazine, among others.
Jesús Rodolfo began his studies at the age of 7 with violist Wieslaw Rekucki Krupa, followed by studies at the Conservatorio Superior de Música “Eduardo Martinez Torner de Oviedo,” where upon graduation with a Bachelor in Music (Viola and Piano), he was awarded the prestigious Honorary Diploma. Jesus Rodolfo has studied his Certificate in Performance, Master of Music and Artist Diplomas at Yale University School of Music, Mannes College of Music - The New School, Manhattan School of Music, and also holds a Doctor of Music Arts from SUNY Stony Brook University. His mentors are Wieslaw Rekucki, Jesse Levine, Paul Neubauer, Lawrence Dutton and Nicholas Cords. Jesus performs on the only exact replica of the decorated Stradivarius Viola "Spanish Court" from the Palatine Quartet of Stradivarius of the Royal Palace of Madrid. The original instrument is one of the only decorated instruments known to have been made as part of a set. Born in Asturias, Spain, Jesus is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French, holds a degree in Architecture and currently resides in New York City.