Artist Biography
Victor Baena - Organist
Víctor Baena was born in Madrid in 1995. He began his organ studies under the guidance of Anselmo Serna.
He has received masterclasses from Jacques Ogg, Lorenzo Ghielmi, Montserrat Torrent, Bernard Foccroulle, Ton Koopman, Leo van Doeselaar, Andrés Cea Galán, Louis Robilliard, and Thomas Trotter.
Since 2015, he has formed an organ and violin duo with the violinist Lisette Carlebur. In 2019, he was awarded First Prize (Schnitgerprijs) at the International Schnitger Organ Competition in Alkmaar (The Netherlands). In 2020, he received Second Prize (ex aequo) as well as the prize for the best performance of Iberian music at the National Organ Competition “Francisco Salinas – 8th Centenary of Burgos Cathedral.”
In 2023, he graduated summa cum laude from the postgraduate Konzertexamen program at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg, studying with Wolfgang Zerer, after completing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organ at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Pieter van Dijk and Matthias Havinga.
Víctor is currently based in the Netherlands, where he serves as principal organist of the Mozes en Aäronkerk in Amsterdam (Adema/Philbert organ, 1871/1887). He also works as organist of the Ter Hart organ (1859) at the Buiksloterkerk. Since March 2023, he has been appointed Young Organist in Residence at the Pieterskerk in Leiden, where he plays both the Van Hagerbeer organ (1643) and the Thomas Hill organ (1883).
Since 2024, he has been the Festival Manager of the biennial Alkmaar Organ Festival and Competition (Orgelfestival Holland). Alongside his concert career, Víctor is active as ateacher, giving courses at various European conservatories and offering private organ lessons through his own academy based at the Buiksloterkerk in Amsterdam.