Welcome to Rodrigo Moro Martín, our new Principal Double Bass

Born in Salamanca, Rodrigo began playing the double bass aged eight at the Antonio Machado School with Professor Javier Gil Ajero. He has won numerous prizes in international competitions, has collaborated with orchestras in the UK and Spain, and is Principal Double Bass at the Orquesta Nacional de España and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. He was recently announced as a professor of double bass at the Royal College of Music from September 2023.

When did you first start playing the double bass, and why?

When I first saw a double bass I picked it immediately – for me it looked like the biggest toy ever, so obviously I wanted one. I was also always fascinated by low, deep sounds, so it seemed like a perfect fit.

When did you realise you wanted to make performing your career?

When I started playing in the youth orchestra of Salamanca at the age of 12, that’s when I realised that I would love to do this for my career. It was amazing to have the opportunity to play great repertoire at a young age in the great environment we had there.
In the 2013/14 academic year I was part of the LSO String Experience Scheme. It was the first time in my life I had played with a professional orchestra, so you can imagine how important the LSO is to me and the impact it had on my career path. I learned so much playing in the double bass section, and all the section members made me feel very welcome.

Do you have any double bass heroes?

I was lucky that when I was studying we started to have more access to the internet, and so I was able to take inspiration from many great players around the world. The last two Principals of the LSO, Rinat Ibragimov and Joel Quarrington, had a great influence on me. To have them around when I was studying in London was a particularly huge inspiration.

What advice would you give to young people hoping to pursue a career as an orchestral musician?

Work hard, practice and you will be rewarded. It is very important to be persistent and constant. The process is tough and there will be many difficulties, but the reward is great. I know it sounds very obvious, but it’s the only way.