José Franch-Ballester, awarded in 2009 with the Outstanding Young Artist in the MIDEM CLASSICAL AWARDS in Cannes, France, is considered as one of the best international clarinettists. He was also the winner of the Avery Fisher Career, Grant 2008 that gives every year the Lincoln Centre of New York, the First prize in the Young Concert Artists International Auditions 2004 in New York and the Astral Artistic Services, National Auditions 2004 in Philadelphia.

He has also performed as a soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra, I Musici of Montreal, Orchestra of Saint Lukes, Orquesta de Valencia, Orquesta de Radio Televisión Española, Joven Orquesta de la Generalitat Valenciana, The Haddonfield Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias, Orquesta Sinfónica del Vallés, among others. And he has appeared in recitals at the Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Centre in New York, the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC, the Usedomer Musikfestival in Germany and in other cities like Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Tel Aviv, Tokio…

At the same time of his career as soloist, Jose is very involved with chamber music, being member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Centre in New York and he is also the principal clarinettist of the Camerata Pacifica in California.

Inside the field of contemporary music, Jose has worked with composers as Kenji Bunch, Paul Schonfield, Edgar Meyer, David Schiff, Jake Heggie, Kevin Puts, William Balcom…  He has released the Second Concert for Clarinet and Orchestra of Oscar Navarro in Oviedo and also the Concert for Clarinet and Orchestra of Andres Valero-Castells in Valencia.

He has been awarded with many prizes as Fredericksburg Festival of the Arts Prize USA, 2004, The Princeton University Concerts Prize USA, 2004, Orchestra New England Soloist Prize USA, 2004. He also won the Scholarship-Competition of Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian Musical Institute) in 2000, 2001 and 2002

First prize in Clarinet Competition “Allegro” in Vall d’Uixó in 2001 and First Prize in Young Clarinet Players “Francisco Hernandez Guirado” in Villar del Arzobispo in 1999

He was born in Moncofa (Castellon) in 1980. At age of 9 he started clarinet lessons in his hometown with his teacher Venancio Rius, who is still his friend. He studied in the Professional Music Conservatory in Vall d’Uixó and in the Superior Conservatory of Music “Joaquin Rodrigo” in Valencia.He continued his studies in The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia (USA) with Donald Montanaro, from 2000 to 2004 and with the clarinettist Ricardo Morales.. 

Nowadays he is teacher in the Superior Music Conservatory in Alicante. He is a Backun artist, paly with Moba clarintes of cocobolo. He is also Vandoren, Silverstein and Bags Artist  

To get more information about José Franch-Ballester, you can visit his website: www.josefranchballester.com