Varela, Adrian

Violinist who grew up in Brazil, Canada, the United States and Uruguay and studied in Argentina, Detroit, Michigan, and London, England, where he received teaching, Masters and postgraduate degrees at the Royal Academy of Music.

He recorded Luis di Matteo’s “Sus Suites para Bandoneon y Quinteto de Cuerdas” in 1995 with cellist Victor Adiego, violinist Julio Levinas, violist Francisco Schlotthauer, and bassist Carlos Weiske. In 1998, he debuted with the Montevideo Philharmonic and premiered David Blake’s “Four Intermezzi” with pianist Daniel Vaiman.

He led the London Shostakovich Orchestra on 13^th May 2000 when they performed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Flute Concerto in G major” and Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture” and “Symphony No. 10” at St. Cyprian’s Church in Marylebone.

On 30^th March 2001, he was one of several musicians who accompanied the Henri Oguike Dance Company in their performance of “Ile Aye”, “Melancholy Thoughts”, “A Moment to Give” and “Shot Flow” at the University of Bedfordshire Theatre.

He recorded Samuel Barber’s “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra” with the London Shostakovich Orchestra on 19^th May 2001 and it appeared on the Dunelm CD #DRD0234.

In 2002, he took over as concertmaster of the National Symphony Orchestra of Uruguay and became a member of the Philharmonia.

He performed Antonio Vivaldi’s “Concerto a la Rustica” with violist Carol Hultmark, violinist Julian Milone, double bassist Neil Tarlton and cellist Katherine Wood on 24^th May 2006 at the Italian Cultural Institute in London, England.

In October 2007, Adrian, Carol and Neil joined violinists Deborah Preece and Gideon Robinson for a jazz concert at the Red Violin Festival in Cardiff, Wales.

Adrian, Samuel Burstin, Fiona Cornall and Benjamin Hughes entertained at the Hotel Mantra Resort Spa & Casino and Lake Golf Club & Resort in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in January 2008.

On 30^th November 2009, the Philharmonia and soloist Simon Trpceski interpreted Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in B flat minor” in between Zoltan Kodaly’s “Dances from Galanta” and Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition”.

They teamed up with Joshua Bell on 25^th March 2010 for an all-Beethoven affair that included the master’s “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major” and “Symphony No. 3 in E flat major” (“Eroica”).

Adrian also goes by the moniker Kufu as a way to distinguish his performing of other people’s works from his own. His compositions include “Deep Sea Plunge”, “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde”, “Escape from Buenos Aires”, “Over the Green Bridge”, “Sunset Casapueblo”, and “10,000 Miles”. He has also arranged the second movement of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Keyboard Concerto in F minor” as a concert piece and Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 1” into a five-minute version entitled “Chamber Titan”.

He performs here…

Sources:

Varela, Adrian

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