I was born in 1950. I grew up in Madrid Spain. My father was a police officer and my mother was a maid for a hotel. I began playing the violin when I was 9. I was 25 years old when Fascism ended in Spain. I graduated with a PhD in music performance at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. I played in the Berlin Philharmonic for over 45 years. I retired shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic. I have 7 children and 15 grandchildren in my family.