Background and Education

Born in Gor, Spain, Yamila Pedrosa Ahmed began her musical training at the age of six with piano, discovering her true passion for the double bass at the age of eight. Her career reflects a constant pursuit of excellence at some of Europe’s leading musical institutions. She graduated with the Extraordinary End-of-Degree Award and Honors Distinction from the Conservatorio Superior “Rafael Orozco” de Córdoba under the guidance of Ángel Santafé.

Her international profile was further established in Italy, where she graduated with the highest distinction (Lode) from the Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali di Reggio Emilia under Amerigo Bernardi, and in Germany, where she completed her Master’s Degree in Performance at the prestigious Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” Berlin with Gunars Upatnieks (Berliner Philharmoniker). During the 2017/2018 season, she was a member of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin Academy, where Igor Prokopets served as her mentor.

Orchestral Leadership and Solo Career

Since 2021, Yamila has held the position of Principal Double Bass of the Franz Schubert Filharmonia. She regularly performs with some of Europe’s leading orchestras, including Konzerthaus Berlin, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Kammerakademie Potsdam, Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia (OBC), Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI), among others.

As a soloist with orchestra, she has performed major repertoire works such as Giovanni Bottesini’s Concerto No. 2 for Double Bass and Orchestra in Liechtenstein and Serge Koussevitzky’s Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra in F-sharp minor, Op. 3 in Vienna. Deeply committed to chamber music, she has shared the stage with distinguished musicians including Daishin Kashimoto, Joaquín Riquelme, and Alexandra Soumm, among others. A particularly significant milestone in her international career was her appearance as double bass soloist at the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo on October 1, 2025.

Yamila performs on a 1968 Steglio Maglia double bass.

Contemporary Music and Artistic Innovation

Contemporary music occupies a central place in her artistic identity. She is a founding member of Sinn-Phonietta (Germany), an ensemble specializing in contemporary music and dedicated to the promotion of new musical languages. This facet of her work is complemented by collaborations with avant-garde ensembles such as Ensemble Resonanz and Musica Assoluta, as well as studies in contemporary composition and film music with composers César Camarero and Juan Cruz Guevara.

In 2023, she gave the world premiere of Bagatelas by Miguel Hurtado Meseguer at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.

Advanced Training and Youth Orchestras

The strength of her orchestral technique and leadership abilities was forged within some of the most prestigious institutions for young musicians, where she frequently held principal positions. She served as Principal Double Bass with the Bruckner Akademie Orchestra (Germany), the Branimir Slokar Akademie (Slovenia), and The World Orchestra.

In Spain, she maintained a long-standing role as Principal Double Bass of the Orquesta Joven de Andalucía (OJA) between 2006 and 2013, in addition to performing with the Orquesta Joven de Córdoba, Orquesta Presjovem, and the Academia de la Orquesta Ciudad de Granada. Her international solo career also flourished through her collaboration with the LGT Young Soloists, touring major concert halls throughout Europe as well as Asia and the United States.

Yamila has refined her technique with renowned teachers including Klaus Stoll, Esko Laine, Janne Saksala, Matthew McDonald, Petru Iuga, Christoph Rahn, Božo Paradžik, Dorin Marc, and Thierry Barbé, among others.

Historically Informed Performance and Early Music

With a deep commitment to historically informed performance practice, Yamila maintains an active career performing on violone in G and Viennese double bass, while currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Early Music at ESMUC under Xavi Puertas. Her search for historical authenticity has led her to participate in major international festivals such as the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Festival Castell de Peralada, and Festival de Torroella de Montgrí. For this repertoire, she performs on a historical Bohemian instrument (Prague, circa 1800).

This specialization has enabled her to work under the direction of legendary figures such as Jordi Savall, Marc Minkowski, Ton Koopman, Paul Agnew, and Trevor Pinnock. She regularly collaborates with internationally renowned ensembles including Les Musiciens du Louvre, Balthasar Neumann Ensemble, Infermi d’Amore, and Spira Mirabilis, while also performing as part of Jordi Savall’s YOCPA, contributing rigorous technical and stylistic expertise to period-instrument ensembles.

Arts Management, Pedagogy, and Social Engagement

Since 2024, Yamila has served as Director of the Franz Schubert Filharmonia Academy, where she leads educational management and mentors young musicians. Her commitment to pedagogy has also led her to work as a guest mentor with the Bruckner Akademie Orchestra in Munich, the Joven Orquesta de la Generalitat Valenciana, and El Academia in Morocco.

Through the Midori Foundation, she has participated in orchestral mentorship projects for young musicians in the Bronx, New York, using music as a tool for social transformation.

Recordings and Artistic Development

Among her notable recordings is her collaboration as a soloist with Sony Classical Red Seal on the album Russian Soulalongside the LGT Young Soloists.

Throughout her career, she has continued to refine her artistry with distinguished masters including Janne Saksala, Esko Laine, Božo Paradžik, Klaus Stoll, Petru Iuga, Dorin Marc, and Nabil Sehata.

Critical Acclaim and Press Reviews

“Perhaps most impressive of all is 23-year-old bassist Yamila Pedrosa Ahmed, who performs Serge Koussevitzky’s charming Valse Miniature with a confidence (and assurance) that Edgar Meyer himself might envy.”
— Jim Svejda, Fanfare Magazine

“An excellent concert by this orchestra [Franz Schubert Filharmonia]… with double basses led by a soloist of exceptional caliber.”
— Jorge de Persia, La Vanguardia

“The decision [to replace the final cello with a double bass] enriched the interpretation… bringing the freshness of this youthful work, the harmonics and depth of the double bass, thanks to the meticulous and devoted performance of bassist Yamila Pedrosa.”
— Platea Magazine

“A resounding success in the Guadix Clásica series, where the performance of Schubert’s Quintet stood out for its solidity and renewed texture thanks to arrangements specifically conceived for the ensemble.”
— Granada es Noticia