Gerardo Martinez

Gerardo Estrada Martinez was born in Caracas in August, 1980. He started his musical studies, learning to play the violin and percussion. Licentiate conductor of the Royal Schools of Music, United Kingdom (Music Direction Symphony Orchestra –With distinction-), he underwent excellent training under maestros Rodolfo Saglimbeni and Francisco Navarro Lara, having diplomas from the State Academy of Music of Minsk, Belarus and the Conducting Academy “Maestro Navarro Lara” in Huelva, Spain. He worked as a musician in various orchestras in Venezuela, and he is also the founder of many musical groups and ensembles.
Moreover, he was the chief conductor and founder of the Bolivarian Symphony Orchestra of the State of Carabobo, with which he organized many concerts and tours and also took part in events such as the Opening Ceremony of the International Caribbean Baseball Championship (Serie del Caribe 2006), the Opening Ceremony of the Copa America for handicapped children, and the Festival of Sacred Music of the State of Carabobo.
He performed also as a guest conductor with different orchestras, such as the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Venezuela and the Municipal Symphony Orchestra of Caracas.
Gerardo Estrada was awarded the Battle of Carabobo First Class Medal, Gold Medallion, Juan Jose Mora Second Class Medal, the Grand Commander Order. He was also proclaimed a Distinguished Guest of the city of Barahona in the Dominican Republic and awarded the Gold Button Order of the Royal Academy of Music in Valencia, Spain.
What is more, Estrada served as the Cultural Secretary of the state of Carabobo from 2006 to 2008. Currently he is a corresponding member of international cooperation of the Royal Academy of Music in Valencia, Spain.
Gerardo Estrada took part in the master classes of internationally renowned teachers. The maestro had very close collaboration with the Symphony Orchestra of the National State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (permanent guest conductor) and the Symphony Orchestra of the city of Mogilev, Belarus (Honorary Conductor). Estrada directed the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Belarus, the Presidential Orchestra of Belarus, the State Chamber Orchestra of Belarus, the Symphony Orchestra of Sudecka Filarmonia in Walbrzych (Poland), the Symphony Orchestra of the University of Nuevo León (Mexico), the Symphony Orchestra Collegium Musicum of the University of Trier (Germany), the Avanti Symphony Orchestra (Cyprus), the Danube Symphony Orchestra (Budapest, Hungary), the Symphony Orchestra of Cuzco (Peru), the Orchestra of Wiener Tonkunstvereinigung (Vienna), the Wallersee Philarmonia (Salzburg), the International Youth Symphony Orchestra (Spain), the National Symphony Orchestra of Paraguay, the Moscow City State Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of Czsestochowa (Poland), the Lisbon Philarmonic Orchestra (Portugal), and others.
Gerardo Estrada conducted works of Venezuelan and Latin American composers for the first time in Belarus, promoting the musical heritage of his motherland.
Estrada conducted the ballet "Nutcracker" of P. I. Tchaikovsky (November, 2013) and "Giselle" of Adolph Adam (March, 2014) at the Belarusian State Academic Musical Theater of the City of Minsk.
As a composer Gerardo Estrada has an extensive catalogue of works which includes symphonic, chamber, sacred works, amongst which "Rapsodia Bicentenaria" should be especially noted. The premiere of this work took place in Minsk on April 19, 2010, and further it was performed on various stages, both in Venezuela and outside it.
In September-October 2014, Maestro Estrada travelled in Latin-America, conducting the National Symphony Orchestra of Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo, the Symphony Orchestra of Loja in Ecuador, the Youth Symphony Orchestra of San Juan de Pasto in Colombia and the Symphony Orchestra of Entre Rios, Argentina.
In September 2014, Gerardo Estrada was finalist of the “Black Sea Conducting Competition” in Constanza, Rumania, and won the Orchestra Prize.
In May 2015, Maestro Estrada won the first prize “Golden Baton” over more than 80 conductors worldwide, in the International Conducting Competition 3.0, which was co-organized by Spain and Paraguay.
In August 2016, Maestro Estrada won the 2nd prize and the Special Prize of the Orchestra in the Danube International Conducting Competition in Budapest, Hungary.