Xavi Castelló serves as Principal Percussionist at the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra since 2013. Born in Aielo de Malferit, Valencia (Spain), he received his diploma in 2008 at the CSMC (Tenerife). In 2009, he continued his postgraduate studies at the CSMA, with Wieland Welzel and Franz Schindlbeck from the Berlin Philharmonic and Jean Geoffrey from CNSM, Paris.
Awarded with the first prize in the International Percussion Competition Perkulliria in 2011 and the third prize in the marimba competition “Ciudad del Paso”, he continued his studies in Madrid with Raúl Benavent (RTVE) and Esaú Borredá (OSM), were he developed his passion for contemporary music and orchestral percussion.
As a passionate musician, with a large experience playing orchestral music and solo performances, he combines his passion for playing with his devotion for teaching. He has been a regular guest teacher at the Sibelius Academy (Finland), at the Grieg Academy (Norway), and at the Progreso Musical (Spain)
In 2018, he founded the Helsinki Chamber Soloists, a chamber orchestra that performs arrangements of symphonic music adapted for chamber ensemble. And the Helsinki Percussion Group, were they performed for the YLE broadcasting company.