BIOGRAPHY
Jean Carlos Rodriguez is an Ecuadorian percussionist, ensemble and orchestral soloist, and educator.
His musical journey began at the Salvador Bustamante Celi Conservatory of Music in Loja, Ecuador, where he received his initial professional music education.
In October 2014, Jean Carlos moved to Odesa, Ukraine, where he enrolled at the A. V. Nezhdanova Odesa National Academy of Music and began his professional music studies abroad.
In 2016, he continued his studies in Moscow, Russia, enrolling at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, where he studied the art of concert performance under the guidance of distinguished teacher Ilya Alexandrovich Melikhov and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Percussion. Thanks to his outstanding academic achievements and high level of performance, he continued his studies in the Master’s program at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, graduating with honors in 2023.
In 2025, he earned a second Master’s degree in Symphonic Percussion at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar in Germany, where he studied under Professor Markus Leoson.
His musical journey began at the Salvador Bustamante Celi Conservatory of Music in Loja, Ecuador, where he received his initial professional music education.
In October 2014, Jean Carlos moved to Odesa, Ukraine, where he enrolled at the A. V. Nezhdanova Odesa National Academy of Music and began his professional music studies abroad.
In 2016, he continued his studies in Moscow, Russia, enrolling at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, where he studied the art of concert performance under the guidance of distinguished teacher Ilya Alexandrovich Melikhov and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Percussion. Thanks to his outstanding academic achievements and high level of performance, he continued his studies in the Master’s program at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, graduating with honors in 2023.
In 2025, he earned a second Master’s degree in Symphonic Percussion at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar in Germany, where he studied under Professor Markus Leoson.
In 2026, Jean Carlos completed his postgraduate assistantship and performance training program at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music.
On the international stage, Jean Carlos has toured extensively, performing in Spain, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Italy, and other countries.
He has collaborated with renowned orchestras and ensembles, including the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra (Moscow, Russia), the Svetlanov State Academic Symphony Orchestra (Moscow, Russia), the New Russia State Symphony Orchestra (Moscow, Russia), the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra (Moscow, Russia), the All-Russian Youth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yuri Bashmet (Moscow, Russia), the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre (Ostrava, Czech Republic), the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra (Jena, Germany), the Thüringer Symphoniker Saalfeld-Rudolstadt (Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, Germany), the Vogtland Philharmonic Orchestra (Vogtland, Germany), the Carl Zeiss Jena Symphony Orchestra (Jena, Germany), the Canary Islands Youth Orchestra (Spain), as well as other distinguished ensembles.
Jean Carlos has participated in various international festivals, including Percussion Friends Chamber Music (Amsterdam, 2016), the Novosibirsk Percussion Festival (Novosibirsk, 2020), Percarus Duo (Moscow, 2021), and others.
Jean Carlos is a prizewinner of numerous international competitions, including Drum-Time Saint Petersburg (Third Prize, 2017), Drum-Wave (Second Prize, 2018; First Prize, 2019), Drumfest Moscow (Second Prize, 2019), as well as the recipient of First Prize at the “I Participate from Home 2020” competition in Ecuador, organized by Percussion Studio in Quito under the direction of Maestro Carlos Alban.
He has collaborated with renowned orchestras and ensembles, including the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra (Moscow, Russia), the Svetlanov State Academic Symphony Orchestra (Moscow, Russia), the New Russia State Symphony Orchestra (Moscow, Russia), the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra (Moscow, Russia), the All-Russian Youth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yuri Bashmet (Moscow, Russia), the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre (Ostrava, Czech Republic), the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra (Jena, Germany), the Thüringer Symphoniker Saalfeld-Rudolstadt (Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, Germany), the Vogtland Philharmonic Orchestra (Vogtland, Germany), the Carl Zeiss Jena Symphony Orchestra (Jena, Germany), the Canary Islands Youth Orchestra (Spain), as well as other distinguished ensembles.
Jean Carlos has participated in various international festivals, including Percussion Friends Chamber Music (Amsterdam, 2016), the Novosibirsk Percussion Festival (Novosibirsk, 2020), Percarus Duo (Moscow, 2021), and others.
Jean Carlos is a prizewinner of numerous international competitions, including Drum-Time Saint Petersburg (Third Prize, 2017), Drum-Wave (Second Prize, 2018; First Prize, 2019), Drumfest Moscow (Second Prize, 2019), as well as the recipient of First Prize at the “I Participate from Home 2020” competition in Ecuador, organized by Percussion Studio in Quito under the direction of Maestro Carlos Alban.
He has participated in studio projects and recordings with the band Los Rodríguez, as well as with the Gnessin Percussion Group, performing José Serebrier’s Symphony for Five Percussionists, “Last Tango Before Sunrise” (New York, USA).
In 2024, he joined the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra in the Czech Republic, with which he collaborated extensively and performed at various concert venues across Europe.
He is currently a member of the orchestra of the Pushkin Nizhny Novgorod State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, as well as a member of the Russian musical ensemble Three Sticks, with which he actively tours throughout Russia.
Jean Carlos is also a member of Duo Sonore, a percussion and piano duo performing works for percussion instruments and piano. The duo has given concerts in Russia, Germany, and Ecuador, continues to develop new creative projects, is working on upcoming recordings, and released the album Resonance (2026), which is available on digital music platforms.
In 2024, he joined the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra in the Czech Republic, with which he collaborated extensively and performed at various concert venues across Europe.
He is currently a member of the orchestra of the Pushkin Nizhny Novgorod State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, as well as a member of the Russian musical ensemble Three Sticks, with which he actively tours throughout Russia.
Jean Carlos is also a member of Duo Sonore, a percussion and piano duo performing works for percussion instruments and piano. The duo has given concerts in Russia, Germany, and Ecuador, continues to develop new creative projects, is working on upcoming recordings, and released the album Resonance (2026), which is available on digital music platforms.