Juan José Peña Aguirre

"Music is a language of sharing and sincerity. Every stage is a precious opportunity for me to create an authentic dialogue with the audience, where classical works regain all their vitality."

A Multifaceted Artistic Profile

Born in Popayán, Colombia, in 2009, Juan José Peña Aguirre began his violin studies in Antofagasta, Chile, in 2015 with French violinist Dorian Lamotte. Based in Switzerland since 2018, he has built a remarkably versatile profile at just 16 years of age: international violin soloist, pianist, award-winning composer, and aspiring conductor, as well as founder and artistic director of the Swiss-Alps Festival.

Academic Path

• HEMU – Haute École de Musique de Lausanne: Admitted at just 14 years old, he studies violin in the class of Professor Svetlana Makarova. Expected graduation: June 2026.
• Conservatoire de Lausanne: He obtained his Conservatory Certificate and Pré-HEM Certificate with Julien Zufferey. He simultaneously studies piano with Jorge Viladoms and will receive his Conservatory Certificate in piano in June 2026.
• Orchestral conducting: Course with Maxime Pitois (HEMU). Workshops and private tutoring with conductor Nicolas Chalvin.
• International Menuhin Music Academy (IMMA), Rolle: Admitted in 2019, he studied under Oleg Kaskiv and Renaud Capuçon.
• Universidad Mayor, Chile: Early studies in violin with Dorian Lamotte, alongside courses in composition, solfège, and harmony (2016–2018).

Mentorship & Masterclasses

Since 2022, his artistic development has been guided by the mentorship of Eduard Wulfson. He has participated in masterclasses with Pavel Vernikov, Silvia Marcovici, Vadim Gluzman (Kronberg Academy), James Ehnes (Tonebase Festival, Münster), Renaud Capuçon (Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris), Eszter Haffner, Liviu Prunaru, and Timothy Chooi.

He has also attended intensive courses at the Académie Tibor Varga in Sion (2019–2024) with Pavel Vernikov and Svetlana Makarova, and studied at the Accademia Santa Cecilia in Bergamo (2021–2022) with Pavel Vernikov, Igor Volochine, and Svetlana Makarova.

Soloist and Laureate

• Early debut: First steps as a soloist at age 8 in Chile (2017), followed by his first European concert at the Victoria Hall in Geneva at age 9.
• Orchestras: Sinfonietta de Lausanne, Camerata du Grand Genève, South Bohemian Philharmonic Orchestra, Shumen Philharmonic Orchestra, and Friuli Venezia Giulia Orchestra.
• Awards: Three-time First Prize winner at the Schweizerischer Jugendmusikwettbewerb (2022–2024) in the violin and chamber music categories, and a Second Prize in composition. Further distinctions at the Geneva Junior Music Competition, the Salzburg International Music Competition, Il Piccolo Violino Magico (Italy), the Concours de Musique Riviera (with the Applause Foundation Special Prize), and the Concours d'Interprétation Musicale de Lausanne.

Festivals

A regular guest at the Niederlenzer Musiktage, he has also performed at the Gstaad New Year Music Festival, the Tonebase Festival (Germany), Klassisk i Sentrum (Norway), Herbst in der Helferei (Zurich), and Primeurs Musicales (Switzerland).

Community Engagement

Juan José regularly participates in benefit concerts organised by Fundación Bambi Colombia, Fondation Bambi Suisse, and the Crescendo con la Música foundation (led by Jorge Viladoms).

Instrument

Juan José performs on a 1690 violin by Giovanni Battista Rogeri, made available through private sponsorship.