Hailing from Guipúzcoa, Marta Zabaleta secured the top spot in San Sebastián at the age of 16, embarking on a journey through Europe ‘s most prestigious schools. Her education took her to CNSM (Conservatory of Music of París) under the guidance of Dominique Merlet, the Reina Sofia College of Music with Dmitri Bashkirov, and the Marshall Academy with Alicia de Larrocha, where she consistently earned the highest marks.
Marta has received significant awards at international competitions, including Santander, where she was recognized as the best Spanish pianist. She has also excelled in Darmstadt, Jaén, Pilar Bayonna, and others. Her concert career spans solo performances and collaborations with symphony orchestras, including Euskadi, Bilbao, Extremadura, Castilla y León, Murcia, RTVE, Comunidad de Madrid, Galicia, Córdoba, Málaga, Granada, Valencia, the English Chamber Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Reina Sofía, and more, under the direction of esteemed conductors such as Sir Colin Davis, Daniele Gatti, Harry Christophers, S. Comissiona, C. Mandeal, M. Venzago, G. Varga, G. Neuhold, J. C. Spinossi, G. Pelhivanian, J. Mena, D. Wilson, L. Pfaff, J. M. Encinar, J, Amigo, M. Bragado, G. I. Ramos, C. Wilkins.
Marta Zabaleta performs chamber music with cellist Asier Polo, with whom she made her Carnegie Hall debut, as well as pianist Miguel Borges Coelho and with the Ysaye Quartet.
Marta’s recorded works are available on the market, with two albums released by the international label EMI, featuring compositions by Joaquín Rodrigo. She has also recorded with the Swiss label CLAVES, presenting Escudero’s Basque Concerto for Piano. Her recording of M. Pompey’s Concerto for Two Pianos was released by RTVE, and she performed Granados’ Goyescas for the “LA MA DE GUIDO” label. In collaboration with cellist Asier Polo, they recorded two albums, one for BBK and another for IBS Classic.
Marta is currently professor of piano at Musikene, the Centro de Música Superior del País Vasco (the Higher Academy of Music of the Basque Country), and, at the wish of her predecessor Alicia de Larrocha, she is the current director of the Marshall Academy in Barcelona. She has been invited as a professor to prestigious conservatories across Europe, including the University of Cologne, Trinity Laban in London, as well as institutions on other continents, such as the University of Bogotá and Auckland, New Zealand.
Her contributions to music have earned her the Albéniz Medal from the Fundación Pública Isaac Albéniz.
