Duo Montes-Kircher
Biography of the Duo
The Duo
The German guitarist Irina Kircher and the Venezuelan guitarist-composer Alfonso Montes, made their debut as a duo in 1984. They are now considered to be one of the finest duos in the world, producing 19 recordings and performing more than a thousand concerts in many countries in the Americas, Europe, and Scandinavia.
The international press has been unanimous in its recognition, respect and admiration for the Duo, invariably praising their virtuoso technique, the precision and complicity of their performance, the evenness of sound, and what is perhaps most important, the enormous emotional range, with which they touch their audiences.
They are regular guest at the most important events in the International Guitar calendar, including the West Dean Guitar Festival, Cambridge Guitar Festival, Cannington Summer school, Gdansk, Barcelona, Montpellier, Arles, Caracas International Festival, USA GFA, Bergen, Iserlohn, Naxos, Upsala, Nrtingen, among others.
Irina and Alfonso have given recitals in such prestigious halls as the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room in London, The Alte Oper in Frankfurt, The Mozart Saal in Stuttgart, The Beethoven-Kammermusiksaal in Bonn, Teatro Teresa Carreo in Caracas, Munch Museum in Oslo, Philarmonie Berlin, Teatro Colon Bogota, UNESCO in Pars, and are regulars guest soloist of international orchestras including the Berliner Symphoniker, Saint John Smith Square of London, The Allegro Orchestra of Pars, the Orchestra of the Warsaw Conservatory, the Caracas Sinfonietta, and the Orquesta Sinfnica de Venezuela.
The Duo Montes Kircher has received many honours and prizes in recognition of the fundamental contribution which they have made to the arts and the promotion of culture throughout the world.
Born in Stuttgart, Germany, 1966 she began to play the guitar at the age of six and at the age of nine she was accepted as a special student at the .Hochschule fur Musik and darstellende Kunst. where she studied with Professor Dr. Mario Sicca.
Born in Cuidad Bolivar, Venezuela in 1955 his early involvement with folk music eventually developed into formal studies with Leopoldo Igarza in Caracas. In 1976 he won a scholarship from the Venezuelan Cultural Council which enabled him to study for six year in London with John Duarte during which time he obtained the Performance Diploma of the Royal College of Music.
Upon returning to Venezuela he became a dominant influence in Guitar affairs and, among various posts, was appointed as the first Lecturer in Guitar at the University School of Music (I.U.D.E.M.).
As well as his guitar works he is also a composer of symphonic music and over the years has received many commissions for works. His music has been played and recorded by a multitude of players around the world and his publications have sold in their thousands.
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