CHARINA QUINTANA

FLUTE Professor at the Conservatory of Music of the Canary Islands Yamaha Artist.

Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where she began her musical studies with Pedro Madina and later studied with Pedro de Armas at the Conservatory of Music of Las Palmas. She received a scholarship from the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria Foundation and completed her advanced flute studies at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid under the guidance of Vicente Martínez, graduating with honors and she receives an award for her musical trajectory.

She attended training courses and workshops with notable flutists such as Juana Guillén, Benot Fromanger, and Will Offerman. She also pursued specialized Pedagogy and Didactics courses at the Music Academy Stuttgart and participated in various pedagogical training courses with Trevor Wye, Verena Maschat, and Luchy Mancisidor.

In 1989, she has won an opposition competition as a Flute Teacher at the Conservatory of Music of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and since 2005, she has been actively teaching at the Conservatory of Music of the Canary Islands. Concurrently, she develops an intense artistic activity both as a soloist and in chamber music.

She has played as principal flutist for the Diego Durón Orchestra, Sinfonic Orchestra of Las Palmas, and Orquesta Sinfónica del Atlántico. She collaborated with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, the Orquesta Filarmónica Giuseppe Verdi de Salerno (Italy), and the Orquesta Sinfónica Italiana (Italy). She has performed as a soloist with the “Altamura Classical Orchestra," "Chamber Orchestra at Enna," the "Rotary Chamber Orchestra," and recently with the "Sinfonic Orchestra of the Bari Metropolitan Tawn" on May 26 and 27, 2023. Currently, she is a flutist co-soloist with the Community Orchestra of Gran Canaria.

As a guest artist, she has participated in Musical Weeks, Chamber Music Cycles, and Festivals in Spain, Bulgaria, Portugal, and Italy. She has also been invited as a jury member in distinguished International Competitions such as the "Sibelius International Competition" in Finland, "EAAA Odin" in Ireland, the International Competition "A Tutto Flauto," or the "International Music Competition Cittá di Treviso" in Italy.

Charina Quintana imparts workshops, and masterclasses on repertoire, flute pedagogy, and Circular Breathing Technique in various conservatories and music academies. Several composers have dedicated their works to her, including Massimo Voltarai, F. Crespo, Marco Tamanin, Marco Massimiliani, Alfredo Cornachia, Sergio Galan Pardo, and Michele Cellaro.

She is the founding president of the Flutists Association of the Canary Islands "AFLAUCAN," aimed at promoting literature for flute ensembles. She serves as the Artistic Director of the "FlauTeam Fest" (Festival dedicated to ensembles) held in the Canary Islands. Additionally, she co-founded, along with flutist Giovanni Mugnuolo, the "Altilia Ensemble" project, prioritizing research and dissemination of the works of composer Saverio Mercadante.

In 2021, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Mercadante, she was invited to Altamura, the composer's hometown, to interpret his unpublished music. There, on August 18 of the same year, she received the "Attestato di Merito" (Recognition) for the excellent interpretation of his music. On September 23, she was appointed "Ambassador of the Music of Mº Saverio Mercadante and the city of Altamura," Bari (Italy), for her research, review, and dissemination of his work.

On December 17 of the same year, at the Mercadante Theater in Altamura, she premiered a fantasy written by G. Rabboni based on the opera "Leonora" by the composer from Altamura. Subsequently, the world premiere of her "Concerto for Two Flutes and Orchestra" took place in the prestigious Scarlatti Hall of the Conservatorio de Música "San Pietro a Majella" in Naples on October 12, 2022, and on May 26 and 27, 2023, with the "Orquesta Sinfónica de la Ciudad Metropolitana de Bari."

Since December 2021, she has been a Yamaha Artist.