A native of Málaga, Juan Manuel Ortigosa studied at the city's Conservatorio Superior with José M. Puyana, obtaining an Honorary Prize in the Superior Diploma. He then completed postgraduate studies at the University of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) with Maestro José Luis Estellés, and at the Scuola Internazionale de Bobbio (Italy) with Maestro Hans Deinzer. He has been taught by Joan E. Lluna, Carles Riera, Antony Pay and Thomas Friedli, among others. He also completed the "Communication and Music" doctoral programme at the University of Málaga, obtaining the Advanced Studies Diploma (DEA).
He has been a member of the Andalusian Youth Orchestra (OJA) and has collaborated with the Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra (OFM), the Granada City Orchestra (OCG), the Akademisches Kammerorchester of Passau (AKO, Germany), the Manuel de Falla Orchestra of Cadiz (OMF), the Orchestra of the City of Almería (OCAL) and the Málaga Symphony Orchestra, where he has been principal clarinet since the 2002-2003 season. As a soloist, he has performed with the Chamber Orchestra of the University of Málaga and the Málaga Symphony Orchestra, playing concerts by Stamitz, Mozart, Weber and Krommer. He has worked with directors such as Pedro Halfter, Manuel Valdivieso, Salvador Mas, Michael Thomas, Miguel Ortega, Miguel Romea and soloists such as Monserrat Caballé, Vladimir Krainev, Carlos Álvarez, Ainhoa Arteta, Ara Malikian, Rafael Aguirre, Maxim Vengerov, Andreu Riera, Plácido Domingo and Anna Netrebko.
He is also a founding member of the Arsian Music Project, an alternative orchestral initiative to the symphonic world that is open to other proposals, offering concerts at the Flamenco Biennial at the Lope de Vega Theatre (Seville), the cycle "The Three Ages of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Moscow" at the Manuel de Falla Auditorium (Granada), the Organ Festival of the Cathedral of León or the Opera Season of the Villamarta Theatre in Jerez with titles such as Nabucco, Il Barbiere di Siviglia or Rigoletto.
His interest in chamber music has led him to be part of different ensembles such as the Chalumeaux clarinet ensemble, the Picasso wind quintet, the Stravinsky Septet, the Xenón Trio (clarinet, cello and piano), the Diattesaron Trio (oboe, clarinet and bassoon) or the Arsian Ensemble, with whom he has toured, won prizes and recorded.
He has published various essays and articles in digital magazines such as Espacio Sonoro or Hoquet, which deal with issues related to the history and evolution of the clarinet and the analysis of recent works.
As a teacher, he has given courses and master classes in Spain, Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands. Since 2017 he has been a professor at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Málaga.
Juan Manuel plays the Bb and A Privilège clarinets.
Recording: Indiana Estudio
Photo credit: J.C Sánchez
