Jenifer Yáñez Villahermosa

Jenifer Yáñez Villahermosa is a classical pianist and improvisational theatre performer, working at the intersection of music, body awareness, and communication. As a teacher and facilitator Performance & Communication, she is deeply interested in how musicians connect with an audience. 

Originally trained as a classical pianist – in 2014 she obtained a bachelor’s in Music Performance at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Castilla y León – Jenifer broadened her artistic practice during her Master’s in New Audiences and Innovative Practices at the Prince Claus Conservatory. She became increasingly interested in cross-genre work, improvisation, and how presence, physicality, and intention shape the way music is perceived. Through her company Creatio Ex Improv, Jenifer gives masterclasses on conservatories and coaches chamber music ensembles on audience engagement. “We spend so much time focusing on technique and playing the right notes,” she says, “that we forget there is a body attached to the musician. That body has a huge impact on how the music is received.” Alongside her musical career, she has an extensive background in improvisational theatre. For over a decade, she has performed with the Groningen-based theatre troupe Stranger Things Have Happened, where she combines live piano improvisation with theatrical scenes on stage. She is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Groningen, with the dissertation ‘From Motion to Emotion: using Improvisational Theatre as a Tool for Enhancing Musicians’ Expressive Skills’. 

Jenifer is passionate about playful learning and draws inspiration from people who dare to fully commit to creative projects without knowing the outcome. To get there, she creates safe spaces for experimentation in the classroom, where she works with her students on stage presence and body language. “I invite them to make choices in the moment, step outside their comfort zone and become more expressive and authentic performers by reconnecting with their bodies.”