Ana Hespanha (Lisbon, 1996) began studying the cello at the age of eleven in “Orquestra Geração”, a Portuguese project based on the “El Sistema” model.
She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Academia Nacional Superior de Orquestra with Paulo Gaio Lima and a Master in Performance in Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel with Jeroen Reuling.
Hespanha has worked with Orquestra Gulbenkian, Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa, Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa and Sistema Europa Youth Orchestra, and has had the chance to work with such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Gustavo Dudamel, Michael Zilm, Emilio Pomàrico, and Jean-Sébastien Béreau. As a soloist she has performed concerts such as Saint-Saëns’ A minor cello concerto and Vivaldi’s Concerto for two cellos with orchestra. Her upcoming highlight includes performing Dvorak’s cello concerto during the 2023/2024 season.
Passionate about chamber music, she often performs in piano trio and string quartet. As founding member of “Quarteto Ibéria” she had the opportunity to work with Isabel Charisius (Albern Berg Quartet), Jonathan Brown (Cuarteto Casals) and Kyril Zlotnikov (Jerusalem Quartet).
Her musical and career progress is followed by such musicians as Maria Kliegel, Johannes Moser, Márcio Carneiro, Ophélie Gaillard, Maria de Macedo, Daniel Grosgurin and Mats Lidström.
Apart from presenting herself in recitals, Hespanha has also been involved in music related social projects such as Orquestra Geração or Orquestra de Cordas da Ajuda.
Ana plays a cello made in 2022 by the luthier Francesco Coquoz, loaned by the Strings For Talent fund and the King Baudouin Foundation.
Born in Italy, Francesco Coquoz moved to France at the age of 6. After studying cello at the CRR (Regional Conservatory) of Boulogne-Billancourt, he learned the art of lutherie in his father Guy Coquoz’s workshop. He continued his training at the Newark-on-Trent School of Lutherie in England, graduating three years later as the top student in his class. He then went to Cremona, Italy, where he worked for two years alongside the luthier Francis Kuttner. Since 2014, he has been part of his father’s workshop, dedicating himself to the crafting of his own violins, violas, and cellos.
