Duo El Catrin is formed after the realization that violin and piano collaboration offers an almost limitless variety of repertoire from all styles; from music of the classic composers, to contemporary pieces, covers of rock and pop music, Latin American folk music, and soundtracks to mention a few.

 

El Catrin’s ambition is to reach a wide variety of audiences through a series of educational events in which they hope to plant a seed on its audience members about the importance of music in the cultural development of any place and how being a classical trained musician can open your possibilities of performing several styles of music.

 

The musical collaboration between Yolanda and Francisco goes back to the early stages of their music education when they first performed in a chamber ensemble at age fourteen for a recital during the annual musicians’ celebration in Mexico. Since then, they developed a great affinity for performing together and they continued to do so during the different stages of their musical careers.

 

After completing their undergraduate studies at the University of Veracruz, they both were awarded with a Fulbright grant and pursued graduate studies at Colorado State University. There, they worked on reinforcing the foundations of their technique and musical ideas while building their repertoire together. It was at this point when they started to think on the project of having a professional duo with the purpose of making a living from that. As their graduate studies were completed they decided to pursue more advanced studies in order to further the development of their artistic abilities. Currently, they both are pursuing a DMA at the University of Western Ontario.

 

Whether performing chamber music with a big ensemble, or as a duo, Yolanda and Francisco ideals of hard work, commitment, and respect for music makes them strive for the highest level they can achieve. This professionalism has rewarded them with recognized awards such as Second Prize in the national chamber music competition hosted by the Escuela Superior de Musica at Mexico City, an individual Fulbright grant, and a full tuition coverage during their DMA degrees.

 

El Catrin looks forward to position itself as a versatile duo of music making with the capabilities to perform music from different styles and with different ensembles at a professional level.