Marimba One Artists

César began his musical career as an autodidact drummer at the age of 12 in his hometown Iquique, a small city in the north of Chile. There, he found out his deep interest for percussion. At the age of 16 he joins the Youth Symphonic Orchestra of that city getting in this way little by little the initial steps in knowledge about the symphonic percussion, so that fact allows him to learn and improve himself in two areas of percussion: Drums and Orchestral Percussion.

In 2000 he moved to Santiago de Chile where he began his professional Studies on Percussion at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC). There he gain experience in different areas of percussion allowing him to form which in the future would be one its greatest qualities, his musical versatility.

César has worked as a guest percussionist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Chile, National Opera Orchestra of Santiago, Maríinsky Orchestra of Saint Petersburg, L ́Arte del Mondo Chamber Orchestra & Rundfunkchor Berlin, Plácido Domingo Orchestra for Die Walküre Opera, Daniel Moore (Iowa) with UC Percussion Ensemble, Mark Ford (North Texas) with UC Percussion Ensemble, Giselle Elgarresta (Barry University, Miami), Reko Jazz Big Band, MusicActual Ensemble.

It is worth it to mention that he has played under the baton of remarkable conductors like Valery Gergiev (Russia), Zsolt Nagy (Hungary), Zubin Mehta (Israel), Gustavo Dudamel (Venezuela- USA), Dimitri Jurowski (Russia), Maurizio Benini (Italy), Konstantin Chudovsky (Russia), Michal Nesterowicks (Poland), Gijs Leenaars (Germany), Giselle Elgarresta (USA), Alexander Mickelthwate (Germany), José Luis Dominguez (Chile), Helmuth Reichel (Germany-Chile), Rodolfo Saglimbeni (Venezuela), Ola Rudner (Sweden), Leonid Grin (USA), Ligia Amadio (Brasil), Plácido Domingo (Spain), among others.

As a soloist, in 2007 won the 1st place in the UC Chamber Orchestra Young Soloist Competition. Then he was on tour through Chile playing the Mayusumi Concertino for Xylophone and Orchestra with the IMUC Chamber Orchestra.

In 2006 premiered in Chile the Marimba trio “Afta Stuba” with Mark Ford. In 2013 premiered in Chile “Eight on 3 and Nine on 2“by Robert Marino. In 2015 Performed the premiere in Chile "Go Between" for drumset solo and percussion ensemble by Ruud Wiener.
In 2018 premiered in South América “Attraction“ by Emmanuel Séjourné, “Swerve” for Solo Snare Drum and “360o” for percussion duo by Gene Koshinski.

César has recorded works playing percussion and drumset with the PUC Chamber Orchestra, IMUC Contemporary Music Ensemble, National Symphonic Orchestra of Chile, Reko Jazz Big Band, UC Percussion Group, Carlos Vera L., Subhira Chamber Music, MusicActual Ensemble, Daniel Muñoz, among others.

César has attended, as guest artist, important national and international music festivals: Cordoba International Percussion Festival (Argentina), Maríinsky Orchestra Festival, Frankfurter Herbsttage for Neue Komposition (Germany), FOJI International Percussion festival (Chile),
San Juan Percussion Festival (Argentina), Semanas Musicales de Frutillar (Chile), Semanas Musicales de Villarrica (Chile), Bicentenario Konzert in der Alte Feuerwache Kòln (Germany), Oriente Jazz Festival (Chile), Jazz Cycles at the IMUC (Chile), UC Contemporary Music Festival (Chile), ATRIO Festival.

During his college years he studied and attended percussion master clases, workshops and seminars given by recognized professors: Ney Rosauro (Brazil-USA), Dan Moore (Iowa-USA), Mark Ford (North Texas-USA), Bernard Wulff (Germany), Jean Geoffroy (France), Timothy Adams (USA), Will Hudgins (New England conservatory-USA), John W. Parks IV (Florida State University-USA), Claudio Estay (Bayerischer Staatsoper-Germany), Ángel Frette (Philhamonic Orchestra of Buenos Aires), Alan Bor (Israel Philarmonic Orchestra) among others.

He also has attended drumset master classes and workshops given by: Peter Erskine, Ed Soph, Antonio Sanches, John Beck, Dafnis Prieto, Bob Becker, Roy Haynes, and many others at PASIC.

César received his Bachelor Degree (B.M.) in Music Performance (Percussion Studies) and Pedagogy in University Teaching Program with the highest distinction from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and the Jazz in America Webinar certificate by The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.

Currently professor César Vilca is a recognized percussion educator, performer and holds the position of head of percussion studies at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Conductor of the UC Percussion Group “Grupo de Percusión UC”, Coordinator of music/orchestral instructor diploma from PUC continuing education program, Professor/Instructor in one of the most important youth and children ́s music foundations of south america; “The Youth and Children ́s Orchestras Foundation of Chile” and he is proudly the first M1 artist in Chile.