 At the age of 12 he took up a scholarship to study classical music at the Escuela Nacional de Arte in Havana for six years.He went on to make a career as a classical musician, completing his formal higher education at the Instituto Superior de Arte, then joining the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba (NSOC), in which he became first violin.Throughout this time he was also learning about popular Cuban music and jazz, from musicians such as Chucho Valdes and Arturo Sandoval, as well as playing in clubs, and after leaving the NSOC he toured the world in groups such as the José María Vitier band and the Orquesta Enrique Jorrín (with Ruben Gonzalez of the Buena Vista Social Club).