Mario Oltra

Born in Orihuela (Alicante), he began his musical studies at the age of 8 at the conservatory of his hometown, choosing the viola as his specialty under the guidance of Veliko Nedyalkov. From an early stage, he demonstrated exceptional talent, leading him to collaborate with various youth orchestras in the province of Alicante and to receive masterclasses from renowned musicians such as Wolfgang Klos (Vienna) and Josep Puchades, who later became his teacher during his higher studies.

After completing his professional studies with the Extraordinary Prize of his generation, he entered the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Aragón, later transferring to Musikene to continue his training with Josep Puchades. During this period, he refined his skills with internationally acclaimed professors such as Joaquín Riquelme, Pedrag Katanic, Silvia Simonescu, Thomas Riebl, and Isabelle Carisius, among others.

He has developed a strong background in chamber music, working with distinguished professors such as Andoni Mercero, Elena Escalza, Leonhard Roczek, Firmian Lermer, Milan Milojicic, and William Coleman, as well as the Cuarteto Quiroga and Cuarteto Diotima. He has also received coaching from pianists such as Connie Shih and Benedicte Palko.

Currently, he is pursuing a Master’s in Performance at the prestigious Mozarteum University in Salzburg, studying under William Coleman. He has been a member of the JONDE instrumentalist pool, collaborated with the Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa (BOS), and is part of the ADDA Simfònica academy list, participating in various projects with them.