The Madrid-based Orquesta Nacional de España recently named the 23-year-old German violinist Valerie Steenken as its new concertmaster. Steenken was ed a pool of thirty-four total applicants and will become the youngest concertmaster in the orchestra's history. Born in Munich, Steenken studied with Julia Fischer at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in her hometown. A move to Spain followed, she continued her studies with Marco Rizzi at the Reina Sofía School of Music. Steenken has made solo appearances at the Munich Philharmonic's Concert for Children series with Julia Fischer, and with the orchestra of the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Munich. In two thousand-sixteenth, she was a recipient of the Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Presently scholarship.

As an orchestral player, Steenken has appeared with the Odeon Jugendsinfonieorchester, the Bayerisches Landesjugendorchester, and the Munich Philharmonic. She's the recipient of several prizes, including first prize at the Gerhard Voght International Chamber Music Contest and third prize at the Aug Everding Contest for Violin. Steenken described winning the position as "a dream arrive true". For our Spanish-speaking readers, you can hear her introduce herself below.