Esteban Batallán was appointed principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2019 by Zell Music Director Riccardo Muti. He was previously the principal trumpet of the Hong Kong Philharmonic during the 2018-19 season and for the Orchestra of the City of Granada from 2002-18. He also served as guest principal trumpet with the Royal Orchestra of Seville from 2010-14 and with the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala and the Filarmonica della Scala from 2015-18.
Batallán has also appeared with distinguished orchestras around the world including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and has worked under esteemed conductors including Jaap van Zweden, Zubin Mehta, Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Riccardo Chailly, among others. He has also appeared as soloist with the Orchestral Ensemble of Paris, Spanish Radio-Television Orchestra, Gstaad Festival Orchestra, Geneva Camerata and Symphony Orchestra of India, among others.
Batallán is the winner of several prestigious competitions, including the Jeunesses Musicales of Spain Competition (2001), Yamaha Xeno National Competition (2002), Jeunesses Musicales of Europe Competition (2003) and the Yamaha International Competition (2003). He was also a prizewinner at the 2006 Maurice André International Trumpet Competition.
A native of Barro in Galicia, Spain, Batallán began his musical studies at the age of seven. He continued his training at the Conservatory of Music in Pontevedra and the Conservatory of Music of Vigo and the Galicia School of Musical Studies. Batallán served as coach with the Young Academy of the Granada City Orchestra for sixteen years and has led master classes at Colburn School, New England Conservatory, Conservatory of Paris, and groups from the National Youth Orchestra of Spain, Youth Orchestra of Andalusia, and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Academy, as well as other Brass Festivals around the world.
