Duo Vela facts for kids

The Duo Vela is a musical group made up of two sisters, Eulàlia Vela López and Ester Vela López. Eulàlia was born on November 11, 1970, and Ester on January 15, 1972. They are famous for playing classical piano music together. They have released three albums.

About the Duo Vela

Who are the Vela Sisters?

Eulàlia and Ester Vela López are talented pianists from Barcelona, Spain. They are known for their amazing classical piano performances. They have been playing music together as a duo since 1988.

Their Musical Training

Both sisters studied music at the Barcelona Superior Conservatoire. They earned special diplomas in solfeggio (music reading), piano, and chamber music (music for small groups). This training helped them become expert musicians.

Performances and Tours

Playing Across Spain and Beyond

The Duo Vela started playing together in 1988. Since then, they have performed in many cities across Spain. One of their most important concerts was at the famous Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona.

They have also played internationally. In Belgium, they performed at the EPTA Congress, which is a special event for music played on two pianos.

Tours in the Philippines

In the summer of 1999, the sisters traveled to the Philippines. They performed Spanish music there. They played concerts at the PBS Concert Hall in Cebu and at the Cervantes Institute in Manila.

Awards and Recognition

The Duo Vela has won many awards for their musical talents.

• Piano Awards: They won prizes at the Berga and Vilafranca Competitions. They also won awards at the Barcelona Superior Conservatoire.
• Composition Awards: They won awards for composing music from the ACD in Barcelona in 1992, 1993, 1995, and 1996.
• Chamber Music Awards: They received awards from the Generalitat Government of Catalonia, the Castellterçol Competition, and the L'ARJAU Competition.

Grants and Support

The sisters have also received special grants to help them with their music. These grants came from:

• The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in 1995 and 1997)
• The Spanish Ministry of Culture (in 1995)
• The Luxembourg Ministry of Culture (in 1997)
• The AIE, Interprets and Executants Association (in 1998, 1999, and 2000)

Their Music Collection

What Kind of Music Do They Play?

The Duo Vela plays a wide variety of music. Their collection includes pieces from the Baroque period (older music) all the way to contemporary music (newer music).

New Music Premieres

They have also been the first to perform new pieces by important Spanish composers. Some of these composers include:

• J. Mª Mestres Quadreny
• Mª R. Ribas
• M. Ros
• X. Boliart
• D.M. González de la Rubia
• Mercè Torrents
• Anna Bofill
• Consuelo Colomer
• Delfin Colomé
• F. Wort
• A. Guinovart
• A.O. Sabater
• F. Taverna-Bech

Recordings

The Duo Vela has released several CDs and participated in other recordings.

Their Albums

• 2004: They released a CD called 21st Century Contemporary Music (Ars Harmònica 135).
• 2008: They released a CD called Dances (Ars Harmònica 191).
• 2009: They released Concierto fémina clásica'09. This CD was a live recording from a concert in Madrid on October 28, 2009. It was released to support the International Day Against Gender Violence.

Other Recordings

The sisters have also worked with other composers on their recordings:

• They recorded with composer Josep Mª Mestres-Quadreny for a CD by Ars Harmonica.
• They recorded with composer Mercè Torrents for a CD by the Associació Catalana de Compositors.

They have also recorded for radio stations like Radio Nacional-4, Radio Nacional-2, COM-Radio, and Catalunya Música. You might have also seen them on TV, as they have recorded for Canal 33 and BTV-Barcelona Television.

See also

Classical pianists (recorded)