Why I Chose Backun
"It is well known, both to those of us who work in this field and to anyone who spends their professional life in the company of a device designed and built by human hands, that our daily lives are full of choices. We choose color over projection, tuning accuracy over timbre, liveliness of sound over ergonomics, and so we face endless decisions that obey our personal taste and the different preconceptions that accompany our philosophy as instrumentalists. I chose Backun, and in particular, I fell in love with my Q Series bass clarinet, because now my choices are moving towards other horizons. The fantastic work that the brand has made possible with this instrument allows those of us who play the bass clarinet to put aside concerns that no longer have a place. Surely my concept of the instrument falls short and refers to what many have said about it: surprisingly stable tuning, unlimited projection, and a tone that is matched only by the majesty of its design... In short, Backun made the impossible possible, and the only thing I can say to those who today expect a detailed description is, “When you play it, you will know.” The gratitude I feel today knows no bounds for the honor of becoming part of this family, this impressive team of human beings who have managed to create the unthinkable."
About
Mariana Clavijo Ledesma was born in 2000 in Popayán, Colombia. She started her musical studies at the age of seven with Andrés Ramírez Villarraga and Jesus Eduardo Caicedo, and at the age of twelve, she started studying bass clarinet with the guidance of Gonzalo Quintero Flórez. Currently, she’s pursuing her master’s degree in contemporary bass clarinet at Manhattan School of Music (New York, US) and is a member of the bass clarinet and piano duet Madera Profunda and the contemporary music ensemble Tactus. She is a Maestro in Musical Arts with Emphasis in Interpretation (Facultad de Artes ASAB, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas).
Mariana was chosen as bass clarinet of the Youth Symphonic Band of Colombia (2015-2017). In 2017, she enters the Fundación Universitaria Bellas Artes, and there she attends a year of studies under the guidance of maestro Halmar Múnera. In January 2018, she was invited to be the contrabass clarinet of the EAFIT Clarinet Choir, under the direction of maestro Javier Vinasco. In August 2018, she enters the Facultad de Artes ASAB to pursue her undergraduate studies; that same year, she enters the ASAB Clarinet Ensemble, directed by Jorge Andrés Vélez Ospina. In 2019, he participated in the ASIA TOUR with the ASAB Clarinet Ensemble in Tokyo, Japan, and on various stages of the JEJU INTERNATIONAL WIND ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL (Jeju, South Korea).
In June 2021, she was the winner of the CLARIPERU scholarship to participate in the ADVANCED ONLINE SOLO BASS CLARINET COURSE. In September 2021, she was invited to collaborate with the contemporary music ensemble La Sociedad in the staging of the opera Reveló, by Colombian composer Marco Suarez-Cifuentes.
In February 2022, she won a scholarship to participate in the BASS CLARINET MASTER COURSE, an event in which she received lessons with some of the world's leading bass clarinetists. In March 2022, she presented her concert “Un viaje de Ida y Vuelta” at the Teresa Cuervo Auditorium of the National Museum of Colombia. In April 2022, she was guest artist of the Bass Clarinet Week, an event created by Clariperu. In July 2022, she was the bass clarinet of the World Youth Wind Orchestra (WYWOP) in Schladming, Austria, and the WASBE Youth Wind Orchestra WYWO in Prague, Czech Republic. In August 2022, she was the winner of the competition Jóvenes Solistas of the Banda Departamental del Valle; in October of the same year, she won FIRST PLACE in the competition Jóvenes Solistas of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia.
In April 2023, she was one of the winners of the contest Jóvenes Intérpretes of the Banco de la República de Colombia in the “soloists” and “ensembles” categories, with her quartet 4A4. In May of the same year, she won FIRST PLACE in the Young Soloists competition of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá. In October 2023, she created and developed two projects with her duo Madera Profunda and the ASAB Clarinet Ensemble. On the one hand, she presented her “Americanísima Tour” with Madera Profunda and, at the same time, developed the project “Journey of the Colombian Clarinet through Central America and the Caribbean” with the Ensemble. Mariana led both initiatives, which included cycles of concerts and master classes and which took place in cities in Cuba and Mexico, having as main allies the Fábrica de Arte Cubano (Cuba), the Faculty of Music of the Universidad Autónoma Nacional de México (Mexico), and the Centro Mexicano para la Música y las Artes Sonoras (Mexico). In November 2023, she was chosen, with her duo Madera Profunda, to participate in the Professional Series of the Banco de la República during the 2024 concert season.
In March 2024, she received the award “Thesis Laureate” for her degree work, and in April of the same year, she was admitted to the Master's program in contemporary music at Manhattan School of Music (New York, US), under the tutelage of international soloist David Krakauer. In July 2024, she won the Vamos a la Escena Award from the Gilberto Alzate Avendaño Foundation and the National Touring Circulation Grant from the District Institute of the Arts. In September 2024, she was selected as one of the winners of the ICETEX Young Talents Scholarship.
In April 2025, she was selected as one of the finalists in the Silverstein International Clarinet Competition 2025 and awarded the distinction of “Brilliant Talent.” In May 2025, she made her debut as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, performing the concerto The Castle of Dr. Bassclar by Spanish composer Ferrer Ferran. In June 2025, she presented three concerts at some of the branches of the Banco de la República de Colombia (Manizales, Pereira, and Villavicencio) after winning the second year of the Banco de la República's Young Performers competition. She was also a guest teacher at the III Ibero-American Bass Clarinet Symposium in the city of Medellín, Colombia. In October 2025, she will present her Mariatrónia-Central America and Caribbean Tour in cities in Cuba, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic, a project in which Clavijo not only plays the bass clarinet but also immerses the audience in a unique experience in which electronic sounds merge with genres such as jazz, funk, klezmer music, and Latin American music in a fresh and bold interdisciplinary approach.
Mariana has performed as a soloist and bass clarinetist with the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bogotá Philharmonic Band, the Valle Departmental Band, and the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia. She has also performed in some of the country's most important venues and on various international stages.
