Luis Cabrera

Born in Spain in 1985, Luis Cabrera began playing the double bass at the age of ten. He studied in Madrid with Rafael de Frías and later Karen Martirossian before moving to London in 2002 to continue his studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with Rinat Ibragimov. He subsequently completed postgraduate studies at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin with Janne Saksala.

In 2006, at the age of 20, Luis was appointed Principal Double Bass of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra in Amsterdam, a position he held for many years. He has since been invited to perform as guest principal with leading ensembles including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra National de France, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Amsterdam Sinfonietta, among others. He has worked under the direction of many of the world’s leading conductors and soloists.

Luis is equally active as a soloist and chamber musician, performing repertoire ranging from the Baroque and Classical periods to contemporary music. His collaborations include ensembles such as Arcangelo, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, London Sinfonietta, BandArt and the BBC Philharmonic, as well as the National Orchestra of Spain. His international performing activities have taken him across Europe and to South America and Asia, with appearances in Spain, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Argentina, Mexico, Greece, Peru, Colombia and Hong Kong.

As a chamber musician and soloist, Luis has performed at major venues including Wigmore Hall, Barbican Hall, LSO St Luke’s, Het Concertgebouw, De Doelen, Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag and the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid.

Alongside his performing career, Luis is a highly active educator. He joined the faculty of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 2012 and has worked as a visiting professor, lecturer and orchestral coach at institutions and youth orchestras including the CSKG in Madrid, CSMA in Zaragoza, Forum Musikae, JONC and JONDE. Since 2018, he has been Professor of Double Bass at Codarts Rotterdam.

Luis has recorded for labels including EMI Classics, Naxos and Pentatone, and has collaborated with BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artists programme and Dutch classical broadcaster NPO Radio 4. His recording Canto Interno, released on the TRPTK label, received international recognition, including coverage in Gramophone, The Strad and BBC Music Magazine. In 2021, he joined String Virtuoso as a featured artist, combining performance and education through the platform.

Luis is currently Principal Double Bass of the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya (OBC). He continues to combine his orchestral work with an active career as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher, appearing internationally in concerts, masterclasses and educational projects.

He plays a Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi double bass, made in Milan c.1770, kindly loaned by the collection of the Het Muziekinstrumentenfonds.