Dámaso Escauriaza
Dámaso Escauriaza Martinez - Peñuela (1998), a native of Pamplona, grew up surrounded by instruments in a very musical family. Thanks to that, he developed a great sensitivity towards music and art.
He completed his percussion studies at the "Pablo Sarasate" Professional Conservatory of Music. At the age of 17, he moved to Amsterdam where he obtained a Bachelor's in classical and contemporary percussion, and a Master's in orchestral percussion and timpani at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with professors Nick Woud, Mark Brafhaart, Bence Major, Peter Prommel, Rachel Xi Zhang and Arnold Marinissen. During this time, he was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO), an Academist of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra (Belgium), and received scholarships from the Fundación Caja Navarra and the Government of Navarra.
Dámaso regularly collaborates with formations such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Basque National Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductors such as Daniel Harding, Ricardo Chailly, Alan Gilbert, Klaus Mäkelä, Ivan Fischer, John Adams, Mark Elder, Pablo Heras-Casado, Eliahu Inbal and Gianandrea Noseda.
In August 2021, Dámaso became the solo percussionist for the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra.