My name is Paula Pérez Romero and I have been playing the violin in the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century since 2019. I am also a violist with the Geneva Camerata, an ensemble that mainly performs interdisciplinary projects, and I am part of a quartet that specialises in Renaissance polyphony.
I was born and brought up in Madrid, Spain, where I had my first violin lessons at the age of ten. Towards the end of my secondary school years, I took a masterclass with Frederike Saeijs, who inspired me to come and study in the Netherlands. At the age of eighteen, I moved to The Hague, where I completed my bachelor’s degree in modern violin with Theodora Geraets. I soon developed an interest in early music, which is why I went to Basel to study for my master’s degree with Amandine Beyer. There, I was also introduced to improvisation, medieval and Indian music.
Whilst studying the violin, I also completed a bachelor’s degree in art history at the Open University in Spain. My bachelor thesis was on urban architecture. I am fascinated by how the physical environment influences society, and how it affects the way people behave, feel and develop. It has given me many insights into ‘context’. This is something we also focus on a great deal in early music. We try not to view the music as an isolated entity, but to place it within the context of the era in which it was written. The physical aspect of the instruments, but also the buildings in which we perform – the ‘architecture’ of a concert, as it were – plays an important role in this. I am studying for a Master’s degree in ‘heritage conservation’. Here, too, I am learning a great deal about how we can not only conserve heritage from the past, such as early music, but also bring it back to life in the present day.
To me, the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century is like a living organism in which every individual plays an indispensable role. The orchestra is a mix of distinct personalities, who are given the space to be themselves. When I first played in the Side by Side project, which Frans was still conducting at the time, I immediately felt that this way of making music was exactly right for me. It’s wonderful to now be an integral part of this family.
As well as making music, I absolutely love walking and being out in nature. Whenever I get the chance, I love to travel far and wide to visit places that inspire me.
