David Medina

David Medina, clarinetist formed in the famous Venezuelan social and musical program known as El Sistema, studied with José Caldera, Jorge Montilla, Edgar Pronio, Valdemar Rodríguez and Luis Rossi.

In 1994 he was selected as a founding member of the National Children’s Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. In 2000 he was a founding member and first clarinet of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Andean Countries; In 2002, he was a founding member of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Americas, YOA.

Medina won first prize in the Aaron Copland Concert’s Competition at the V Festival of Young Venezuelan Clarinetists in 2001, and first prize in the Carl Nielsen Concert’s Competition in 2004 at the VI Festival.

In 2006, obtained his Undergraduate Music Degree in Clarinet Performance at the “Instituto Universitario de Estudios Musicales” in Caracas, under the tutelage of maestro Valdemar Rodíguez. Medina went on to earn a Masters Degree in Clarinet Performance at the Simon Bolivar University of Venezuela in 2014, under the tutelage of maestro Luis Rossi.

Dedicating over the years to researching clarinet in Venezuela, he received “Publication Mention” on his thesis “The Clarinet History in Venezuela” and “Outstanding Mention” on his thesis “The Teaching of Clarinet in Caracas between 1970-2013.”

For 17 years he was Principal Clarinet of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, performing under the baton of maestro Gustavo Dudamel and many other renowned conductors including Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, Lorin Maazel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Sung Kwak, Hannu Lintu, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Helmuth Rilling, Daniel Barenboim; debuting in the most important concert halls in the world during  vatious tours with this orchestra. In addition, Medina also can be heard on the CD and DVD recordings under the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label with master conductors Gustavo Dudamel and Claudio Abbado.

Medina has worked as a clarinet teacher in different training centers in the System of Orchestras of Venezuela, in the Latin American Academy of Clarinet, in the Simón Bolívar Music Conservatory; as well as guest teacher in other countries of Central and South America.

Currently, David Medina is the Clarinet Soloist of the National Symphony Orchestra of Chile and teaches at the Institute of Music of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Since 2014 he is a Buffet Crampon Artist and since 2019 a Vandoren Artist.