Aarón Zapico is a Spanish conductor with an undeniable status as a specialist in the baroque and classical repertoire, celebrated for his daring and innovative performances. For over two decades, he has made a profound contribution to the restoration of Spanish musical heritage and the revitalization of the classical music sector through his cutting-edge programs.
Currently, his focus lies in directing baroque opera and orchestral music. He collaborates with renowned soloists and delves into contemporary music and interdisciplinary projects that merge various artistic disciplines such as theatre, cinema, and literature. His bold programs consistently garner praise for their cohesion and quality.
Aarón Zapico gained international attention during the summer of 2023 when he opened the prestigious Granada International Music and Dance Festival. His direction of the Orquesta de Granada in a program centered around the figure of Don Quixote, featuring a scenic performance of the opera "El Retablo de Maese Pedro" by De Falla, preceded by orchestral suites by Boismortier and Telemann, at the Palace of Carlos V at the Alhambra, received high acclaim.
In the 2024/25 season, he makes his debut with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife, conducting Haydn’s Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze, combined with the contemporary work Sheba by José María Sánchez Verdú. He opens the season with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias in a programme including works by J.S. Bach, Vivaldi, Garay and Boccherini on the occasion of Asturias’ Day. He also returns to the Basque National Orquestra, conducting their participative Messiah by Händel, among other engagements.
Last season, he led the premiere in modern times of Francesca Caccini’s opera La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina, a coproduction of the Teatro Real and Teatros del Canal. He also made his debut in front of the Real Filharmonía de Galicia, the Orquesta de Córdoba and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao. Previous highlights include concerts with the Orquesta de Castilla y León in a theatrical French baroque program, concerts in Mexico City with the Academia de Música Antigua, and participative Messiah concerts in Granada. In 2022, he conducted the RTVE orchestra in a program featuring a unique repertoire of Spanish and English composers, ranging from Renaissance to the 18th century, including works by Mateo Flecha, Charles Avison, Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga, Doménec Terradellas, and Juan Francés de Iribarren.
As a guest conductor, Aarón Zapico has collaborated in recent years with orchestras including the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Orquesta de Extremadura, Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga, Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao, Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Oviedo Filarmonía and the Orquesta de la Radio Televisión Española (RTVE), among other orchestras. Vocal soloists he worked with include Maite Beaumont, Vivica Genaux, Ruth Iniesta, Christopher Lowrey, Carolyn Sampson and Hilary Summers, among others. He is also a frequent guest at early music festivals throughout Europe, such as the Bach Festival in Eisenach, the Händel Festival in Halle and at the Rudolfinum in Prague. His work as a guest conductor is paralleled by the musical and artistic direction of Forma Antiqva, considered one of Spain's most influential period ensembles.
Co-founding Forma Antiqva in 1999 with his brothers Daniel and Pablo Zapico, they have delivered performances across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In their innovative programs, Forma Antiqva engages with local creative projects, blurring traditional performance conventions and challenging the boundaries between performers and the audience.
Born in Asturias, Aarón Zapico initially trained as a classical pianist at the Conservatory of Oviedo, after which he specialized in early music and harpsichord at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. He has served as a professor at various conservatories and as a visiting lecturer at universities in Spain, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Australia, and Singapore. With a restless, committed, and entrepreneurial spirit, he has founded associations and platforms for the protection of musicians' rights, initiated social projects that use music as an integrating element, and even established Spain's first early music competition.
Aarón Zapico has received numerous awards and honours from the press, radio, and television, as well as from city councils, musician associations, festivals, and cultural foundations throughout Spain. Among these accolades is the Prize for the Best Conductor from the Association of Spanish Ensembles of Early Music in 2019. His discography has earned multiple nominations for the International Classical Music Awards.