Alejandro Coello Calvo facts for kids

Alejandro Coello Calvo (born on July 25, 1989) is a talented Spanish percussionist, composer, and music producer. He started teaching percussion at the University of Music Franz Liszt in Weimar in Germany when he was only 23 years old. From 2017 to 2018, he also taught at the Castilla y León Higher Conservatory of Music in Spain.

About Alejandro Coello

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Alejandro Coello was born in León, Spain. His father, Emilio Coello, is a composer, and his mother, María Luisa Calvo, is a flautist. His grandfather was also a music conductor, so Alejandro grew up surrounded by music.

He started his first music lessons at age five at the "Alcobendas Municipal School of Music and Dance". Later, he took lessons for the contrabass, a large string instrument. Two years later, he switched to percussion lessons. At the same time, he also earned a "Professional Grade" in harpsichord, which is an old keyboard instrument.

Studying Music at a Higher Level

When he was sixteen, Alejandro went to the “Castilla y León Higher Conservatory of Music”. He studied there for three years and also took chamber music lessons. Chamber music is played by a small group of musicians. He was so good that he received a special scholarship for his excellent grades for three years in a row.

In late 2008, Alejandro moved to Weimar, Germany. He received a scholarship called the Erasmus Programme to study with a famous percussionist named Markus Leoson. After this, he returned to Spain to finish his studies and graduated with top honors. Professor Leoson then invited him back to Germany to study for the Konzertexamen, which is the highest music degree you can get in Germany. During his time there, Alejandro received two more special scholarships.

From 2012 to 2013, Alejandro prepared for a teaching audition. He won the position and became a percussion teacher at the same university where he had been a student. He was only 23 years old at the time.

Alejandro as a Percussionist

Playing in Orchestras and Groups

Alejandro has played in many different music groups. He started with youth orchestras like the “Salamanca Youth Orchestra” and the “Castilla y León Youth Symphony Orchestra”. He also played in the “Salamanca University Big Band”.

He later joined smaller groups such as the “Plural Ensemble” and the “Smash Ensemble”. He also performed as a soloist with the “Iberian Orchestra of Leon”, playing a special concert for guitar, marimba, and orchestra.

When he was 16, Alejandro even conducted an orchestra called the “Per Músicam Orchestra”. He also formed a duo called Perc`air duo with his friend Xabier Casal Ares, a saxophonist. They performed at the International Music Festival of Santander.

International Performances and Awards

After moving to Weimar, Alejandro started new music projects in both Spain and Germany. In 2009, he formed the MixStick percussion duo with his friend Tomi Ananiev Emilov. They traveled to Shanghai, China, in 2011 and won the "First and Golden prize" in a chamber music competition. They still perform concerts in Germany, Spain, and Bulgaria. Alejandro is also a member of the Ensemble Iberoamericano.

He has also played with the Youth Percussion Pool, a group led by Tatiana Koleva. This group was named “Ensemble of the year” in Bulgaria in 2013.

Alejandro has performed in China several times, including a chamber music concert in Hangzhou in 2014. In 2015, he was a guest professor for the Shanghai Percussion Association. In 2016, he performed and was a judge at a music festival in Taiyuan, China.

In October 2016, he performed at the Weimar Palace with his music group, Art Government Percussions. In 2017, he gave a concert for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Shenzhen Foundation.

Alejandro has learned from many famous musicians and conductors, improving his skills as a percussionist.

Alejandro as a Composer and Arranger

Creating New Music

Alejandro composes music for many different styles, from electronic music to instrumental pieces. He especially enjoys creating music for movies and other visual media. Some of his well-known pieces include:

• Concertrate for solo marimba.
• Percversions for vibraphone and other percussion instruments.
• "Malpaíses" for guitar and marimba, which he wrote for his friend, guitarist Ricardo Gallén.

He has also arranged two songs, “Píntame angelitos negros” and “El cumbanchero,” for a mixed choir. These arrangements were very popular. In 2014, two of his piano pieces were performed by pianist Tito García González at the National Auditorium of Spain in Madrid.

Alejandro has worked on music for short films and other projects for students at the Bauhaus University, Weimar.

One of his recent projects as a composer was creating music for a TV spot for the UNHCR, a humanitarian organization. This TV spot was shown on national Spanish television and online.

Currently, Alejandro is working with director Arthur Keir on new projects.

Recordings by Alejandro Coello

Alejandro has released several recordings:

• Percussion Theory: This album features famous musicians like Simon Phillips and Diego Barber. It was released in 2019.
• One minute later: This recording was made with a jazz quartet in New York City.
• Estampas Latinas: This album features classical guitarist Ricardo Gallen and the Ensemble Iberoamericano.
• Winnipeg: This recording is part of the “Música y exilio” project by “Ensemble Iberoamericano”.
• Beatus PALAFOX: This recording features several vocal groups performing 17th-century music.
• He has also made recordings for the “MDR Figaro German radio”.

Alejandro is currently working on his second CD, which will feature many well-known percussionists from around the world.

Personal Life

Alejandro Coello lives in Weimar, Germany. He continues to work as a percussion teacher at the Hochschule Für Musik Franz Liszt and at the Musikgymnasium Schloss Belvedere. He also teaches special percussion courses, performs concerts with different groups, plays as a soloist, and composes new music. He is married to Mexican singer Liliana Cortez Burciaga.

See also

In Spanish: Alejandro Coello Calvo para niños