Luis A. Víquez (CLARINET) is from Cartago, Costa Rica. Before coming to the United States, he served as the principal clarinetist of the Heredia Symphony Orchestra, and for five years taught at the Paraíso School of Music and the Cartago Municipal School of Music, where he was the clarinet and music theory professor and Director of Band Activities. Mr. Víquez was principal clarinetist of the Municipal Orchestra of Cartago from 2008 to 2010, and a member of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica in 2007. He has performed recitals and concerts in Panama, Honduras and Guatemala, and was member of the Latin American Youth Wind Orchestra (2009, Colombia) and of the International Youth Wind Orchestra that toured Taiwan in 2011. Víquez has appeared as a soloist with the Heredia Symphony Orchestra (performing Mozart´s Clarinet Concerto for the 2012 season), the Truman Symphony Orchestra, the Efraín Sequeira Honor Orchestra, the Truman Clarinet Choir and the Cartago National Wind Ensemble. Mr. Víquez holds a Bachelor and Licenciatura degrees (Valedictorian) from the University of Costa Rica, and a M.A. degree in clarinet performance and wind conducting from Truman State University, Víquez is winner of the 2012 Missouri Music Teachers Association Graduate Woodwind Competition, the 2013 Truman Gold Medal Concerto Competition, the 2008 and 2009 University of Costa Rica Honor Recital Competition and received the 2014 Robert Fountain Memorial Award and the Outstanding Conductor Award at the 2011 National Competition of Bands of Costa Rica. As a scholar, Víquez has published in the Revista Educación from the University of Costa Rica, La Retreta Magazine, the Journal of the College Orchestra Association and the Journal of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE). He is currently pursuing a D.M.A. in orchestral conducting and an Artist Diploma in clarinet performance at UMKC Conservatory.
A native from El Salvador, Cristian Guandique (CELLO) serves as principal cellist of the Heredia Symphony Orchestra in Costa Rica, and as assistant professor of music at the University of Costa Rica Western Campus Conservatory of Music, where he teaches chamber music and applied cello and double bass lessons. He is also in the faculty of the National System of Music Education of the Republic of Costa Rica. Mr. Guandique is currently concluding a Masters degree in cello performance at the University of Costa Rica, where he is a student of Russian cellist Elena Karina, and performs and records as a soloist and chamber musician at a high demand throughout the country. He was awarded a fellowship to attend the 37th Campos de Jordaõ International Winter Festival in Brazil, the Curso de Interpretación Musical Agustín León Ara, and has appeared as soloist with the Heredia Symphony, the University of Costa Rica Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Costa Rica. Besides his active performing career in Costa Rica, he has performed in Brazil, Spain and throughout his home country, El Salvador. Guandique has recorded actively as principal cellist of the Heredia Symphony, and recently released a CD of Costa Rican Duos and Trios for violin, cello and piano. He appears in several recordings of the chamber works by Costa Rican composers Eddie Mora, Alejandro Cardona and José Mora, and also has also recorded for Spanish label VERSO Records. Cristian Guandique perform with the University of Costa Rica Contemporary Ensemble, the EntreCuerdas ensemble and is founding member of the Dúo Guandique-Víquez.
Acerca del Dúo Guandique/Víquez
El Dúo Guandique/Víquez es una inusual agrupación de música de cámara fundada en el año 2006 por el clarinetista costarricense Luis Víquez y el violoncelista salvadoreño Cristian Guandique. Su misión es promover el repertorio latinoamericano y universal para este singular ensamble.
El clarinetista Luis Víquez realiza sus estudios de Doctorado en Música con énfasis en Dirección Orquestal en el Conservatorio de Música de la Universidad de Missouri, Kansas City, lugar en el cual estudia con el Dr. Robert Olson, discípulo del legendario maestro Hans Swarowsky. Actualmente labora como director asistente de la UMKC Conservatory Symphony Orchestra y UMKC Conservatory Opera Theater. Junto con sus estudios en dirección también realiza un Artist Diploma en ejecución del clarinete, bajo la tutela de la maestra Jane Carl. Víquez obtuvo una Maestría en Música en Dirección de Bandas y Ejecución del Clarinete en Truman State University en Estados Unidos. El violonchelista Cristian Guandique nació en El Salvador. En el año 2009, se graduó de la Universidad de Costa Rica bajo la tutela de la maestra Elena Kharina Anatolievna. En el campo de la enseñanza es profesor desde el 2008 en la Escuela de Música de Pavas-SiNEM y profesor de violonchelo y contrabajo del Conservatorio de Occidente de la Universidad de Costa Rica en Palmares. Ha participado en proyectos de grabación y difusión de música de cámara costarricense de compositores como Julio Fonseca, Alejandro Cardona, Eddie Mora, Benjamín Gutiérrez, entre otros.