Juan Parrilla
With a network of Artist Centres and Ateliers around the world, Yamaha works with leading players to support their performances and develop instrument designs and new ideas for the benefit of all musicians. Yamaha Artists share with us a passion for inspiring the next generation of players, and a belief that everybody should be encouraged to nurture their talent, connect with others and tell their stories through music.
Get to know Yamaha Artist and flute player Juan Parrilla
How does your instrument improve your daily life as a musician?
Everything, it's like another part of my body, when I have it in my hands is when I feel more complete. In fact, my wife always tells me, when you pick up the flute you become another person.
How would you characterise your instrument?
In previous models I needed a warm-up time and little by little the instrument responded as I played, in the model I play now YFL-787-H the response is immediate, it is a powerful instrument, with a very good sound, it responds quickly in all registers and it is very comfortable to play.
When and how did you first come into contact with Yamaha?
When I was a student all my classmates played flutes of other brands and as soon as I could I bought one of the most used ones and it was a great disappointment because I never felt comfortable playing it. My next flute was a Yamaha and since then I have always played Yamaha, and that was more than 35 years ago!
Who was your most influential teacher and is there any advice which you still follow?
There are many musicians who have influenced my career, because of my flamenco origins I have been influenced by musicians like Paco de Lucia, Camarón, groups like Triana, Pata negra, Ketama and of course Jorge Pardo, Carles Benavent, Javier Colina and we can't forget the great masters of the flute like Rampal, Galwey, Pahud. In one way or another all of them have influenced my musical career. As a flamenco musician I still apply all the advice my father gave me and as a flautist I will never forget the advice of my teacher Andrés Carreres, who was my father.
Andrés Carreres, who was the soloist of the ONE in his time.
Advice for a young musician:
The profession of a musician is very beautiful but it is very hard, it is not like other professions where you finish your degree and you forget to study, we have to continue studying all our lives and we do it because we love music, my advice is to never stop loving music because it is one of the most beautiful things in the world and it gives you back that love.
