Victor Varela

Victor Varela

Víctor VarelaVíctor Varela (born in Caracas, December 20th, 1955 - ) Venezuelan/Swedish composer based in Gothenburg, his production include works for orchestra, vocal and instrumental chamber music, with electronics and computer devices.

Biography
Víctor Varela studied composition, electronic music and piano at the National Conservatory of Music Juan José Landaeta of Caracas where he obtained the degree in composition in 1987. Afterwards he studied composition at Sweelinck Conservatorium Amsterdam (Composition Prize in 1993) and electronic music at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. He also got lectures and tuition, among others, from: Ton de Leeuw, Louis Andriessen, Peter Schat, Theo Loevendie, John Coolidge Adams and Trevor Wishart.

His music has been performed at festivals and events in Caracas, San Juan de Puerto Rico, Montevideo, New York, Bloomington, Miami, Quito, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Copenhagen, Reykjavik, Berlin, Los Angeles, Krakow, Phoenix, Stockholm and Gothenburg; including majors festivals like the World Music Days, San Juan’s Biennial of Contemporary Music, Caracas Latin American Music Festival, Inter American Music and Dance Festival, Green Umbrella Series, Stockholm New Music & Gothenburg Art Sounds.

In Venezuela he has received the National Composition Award and the Caracas City Municipal Award. In 1996 his Second String Quartet was selected to represent Venezuela at the ISCM Festival in Copenhagen, and in 2005 his Axle-asimétrica II was selected to represent Sweden at the ISCM festival in Zagreb. He has written works commissioned by the Teresa Carreño Opera Theatre, the Venezuelan Society for Electronic Music, the Swedish Artists Council, Caracas Ensemble, Nova Musica Ensemble, STIM, Stockholm Saxophone Quartet Gageego! and Concert Sweden.

Víctor Varela was teacher at the National Conservatory of Music J.J. Landaeta and at IUDEM, both of Caracas. He has also been lecturer at the Universities Central de Venezuela, Stanford and Gothenburg. Since 2001 is Victor Varela swedish citizent.

Selected Works

Solo Instruments
Archipiélago for organ (2002);
Batacumbele för bass clarinet (2000);
Crystals for clarinet (2000);
Luna en refracción för flute (2001);
Ols for bassoon (1994);
Otoño-Occidente for piano (1994-95);
Sabines Spiralis for piccolo (1995-96);
Viola pomposa for viola (2006).

Chamber Music
Axle-Asimétrica II for harp, vibraphone & marimba (1997);
Claro/ Obscuro for bass-clarinet & harpsichord (1996);
Equinox for saxophone quartet (2002-03);
In between silences for trombone & 1 percussion player (2003-04);
Miró-epsilon for alt-recorder & marimba (1996-97);
Second String Quartet (1994);
Canciones de solitud y utopía for flute soloist & ensemble (2004);
à trois for violin, french horn & piano (2005);
Online for bass clarinet & organ (2005).

Vocal
La parola lontana for female voice & ensemble (1998-99);
La fraîcheur de la dernière vêprée for mezzo-soprano & 1 percussion player (2001);
Calligrammes for soprano & ensemble (2001);
Canto III for mixed choir a cappella (2006).

Electronics
Praeludium I for oboe, lives electronics & tape (1988);
Omaggio a Cortázar for mezzo-soprano & computer (1991-92);
Logarítmica for 1 percussion player & magnetic tape (1994).

Orchestral
El Cántico de Khronos for full orchestra (1987);
Two articulations for chamber orchestra (1992);
Axle-Asimétrica I for cello soloist and chamber orchestra (1997-98);
Syntax for flute & oboe solists and chamber orchestra (2005).