Cellist, arranger and composer

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I am very proud to have worked on a series of Christmas arrangements for symphonic band in the last year. I must have studied a lot about big band jazz orchestration and then adapted that information to an even larger ensemble. The result was amazing and gave me the impetus to start arranging for big orchestras.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Right now I'm writing arrangements and recording cello lines for a new project with my string quartet.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: I would love to recommend Pedro Alvide, he is one of the greatest clarinettists in Buenos Aires and with whom I had the honor of working through Soundbetter.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: As a cellist I have to say analog. All my life I played live and I enjoy playing in all kinds of places with different acoustics and different audiences. I must also say that in recent years I have become internalized in the digital world, both in the recording of my own instrument, and in the composition with digital instruments, and I find it fascinating what can be achieved by combining both elements.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: The work will not be finished until we are both completely satisfied with the result. As I said before, I am very perfectionist and I am able to continue correcting even when they tell me that it is not necessary, that it is just fine.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: When it comes to playing live, I love to see the happy face of the audience after the gig or concert. For me listening to strings is something everyday, but for many people listening to their sound is something that can happen very few times in their lives and you can clearly see the amazement on their faces.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: I am usually asked if I need a sheet music to record the lines. I tell them no, I can play a melody after hearing it or I can also create a new one according to their needs.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: When people think it's just about playing the right notes, on time and in tune. Music is much more than that!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Do you have a sheet music with clear tempo indications, or in any case a recording of what I should play? Are you open to making the suggestions you consider to achieve a better final work?

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: I would tell them to suggest everything they consider necessary and to trust that I am not satisfied until I get a really good result with my work.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: I would take my cello, my records, my piano, my guitar and a soccer ball haha

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I started with the piano at the age of 7, playing classical music. Then at 13 I discovered guitar and jazz, along with other genres of popular music. It was then that I decided that I wanted to dedicate my life to music. At 16 I started playing the cello and seriously started my career in academic music. I went through many youth orchestras, including the one from the Colon´s Theathre Superior Instute of Art (ISATC), where after 2 years of studies I obtained a certification as an orchestral musician, in 2017 (beyond the fact that I had been playing in an orchestra for several years). As for chamber music, I had the honor of closing the 2016 edition of the Dispotraining course taught by the professors from the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main, Ingrid Zur and Jörg Heyer. For several years I held the position of cello soloist in the Juan José Castro string orchestra, and I am currently the cello soloist of the National Gendarmerie Orchestra. As for composition and arrangements, I graduated from the Juan José Castro Conservatory in Buenos Aires as a composition teacher. I am also pleased that the orchestra where I work frequently plays my arrangements.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: As a classical musician, I consider myself a very passionate performer, and I bring out the best in works from the romantic period. As a performer of popular music, I play in a very rhythmic way. I enjoy playing with rhythms and rests much more than just playing long notes. I love to come up with new ideas and melodic lines every time.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: I would love to play with Yamandú Costa. He is an amazing musician and generates a lot of emotions in every note he plays.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Always follow your intuition. If something sounds good to you, that is the way to go, only then is it time to think about what is appropriate or not.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: During the week I work in an orchestra, so I mainly tackle the classical and romantic repertoire. On weekends I work playing at weddings, in smaller formations. That's where I play various popular styles, from jazz to pop to rock. Having the freedom to improvise lines and play with harmony from my bass role.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I am a string player but I consider myself essentially a musician. I'm a nerd when it comes to harmony, composition, and arranging. Therefore, when I play, I try to embellish my lines with notes that go hand in hand with what the harmony suggests. As a composer and arranger, moreover, I have the advantage of knowing the world of strings in depth and therefore knowing what things work best for the cello.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I believe that music is much more than playing the correct notes in tune and in rhythm. I think of each melody as a narrative, as if each line is telling a story. I try to bring that idea to my recordings.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I usually spend a good amount of time analyzing the score to define different interpretive possibilities. I am usually a perfectionist, so I record several takes until I am satisfied with the work done.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have an acoustic room and I usually record my cello with two microphones at the same time: an audiotechnica at2020 condenser to capture the sound of the room and a dpa d:vote 4099 core condenser for the most precise details of the instrument. To process them I have a third generation Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: As I listen to a lot of popular music I am inspired by musicians from all walks of life, not just cellists. On strings I love the way Federico Nathan and Guillaume Latil play, but I also spend a lot of time listening to guitarists like Yamandú Costa or Sylvain Luc or wind players like Marcelo Mogilevsky.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Here in Buenos Aires I work as a sessionist in recordings, I also play cello both in orchestra and in music companies for weddings. I recently equipped my studio to be able to make recordings and thus be able to add work as a sessionist from home.