The violin duo was formed in 2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the aim of exploring and developing the resources of string instruments in popular music and the challenge of adapting a variety of genres including tango, chamamé, chacarera, zamba, forró, choro and their own compositions for duo performance. With a strongly rhythmic imprint, the duo’s proposal plunges us into the universe of Latin American popular rhythms with an original outlook and influences from classical music, Spanish music, flamenco, and jazz.
At present they develop their artistic activity mostly in Spain and Argentina, and also perform regularly in stages across Italy, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Denmark, France, and the Netherlands. They periodically participate in world music and chamber music festivals such as the Copenhagen Latin Jazz Festival (Copenhagen, Denmark), Kultursommer (Kirchbarkau, Germany), FullMoon Babylon (Rotterdam, the Netherlands), Festival Música en los Patios (Torralba, Spain), Urdufolk (Vizcaya, Spain), and play in collaboration with different ensembles and artists of classical and popular music including trombonist Jonas Hocherman Correa and cellist María Clara Valle (Brazil), singer-songwriter Álvaro Corcuera (Mexico), percussionist Marco Santos (Portugal), singer Irene Novoa (Spain), guitar player Andrés Tritten (Argentina), and bands Altertango and Victoria Di Raimondo (Argentina).
They have performed as solo violins in Spain with Camerata Clásica de Ponferrada (Classical Music Ensemble of Ponferrada) and in Argentina with Orquesta de Cámara Municipal de Rosario (Chamber Orchestra of the City of Rosario) and musicians of Orquesta Filarmónica de Mendoza (Philharmonic Orchestra of the City of Mendoza).
In 2017 they released their first album, Música Popular. This innovative recording work features 11 tracks covering different genres, among them chamamé “Kilómetro 11”, forró “Feira de Mangaio”, solo versions of violin of Argentine classics “Oración del remanso” and “Luna cautiva”, new compositions such as “Chacarera de los dos” by Guillermo Copello, choro “Um a zero” by Pixinguinha and tango “A los míos” by bandoneon player Osvaldo Montes.
In addition, they work extensively as music educators and hold interpretation and ensemble workshops for string instrumentalists at all levels, for small lineups as well as for youth orchestras and string orchestras, namely Conservatorio Superior de Salamanca (Salamanca Higher Music Conservatory) and the professional conservatories of Burgos and Santiago de Compostela, Albacete and Ciudad Real in Spain, as well as youth orchestras programs in Argentina, in the cities of Mendoza, Rosario and San Luis.
© Duo Alonso Copello
