Juan Manuel Varela Louro

Category: Pianist
Birth Date: In 1972
Birth Place: Noia (A Coruña)
 Curriculum

He studied piano with Martín Millán and attended many courses on piano and chamber music with Manuel Carra, Lidia Stratulat, Alfredo Oyáguez, Cecilio Tieles and Evelio Tieles.
Together with Aliaga, he represented Spain at the ‘Kaleidoscope der Nationen’ in Viena and performed a play created by Enric Riu for the group.
In 1996, he began to study improvisation and modern harmony with Suso Atanes, going on later with Abelardo Rábade. He participated in the ‘Workshop de big band’ within the Seventh Jazz Festival of Porto, organized by Cecil Bridgewater, who was also in charge of the improvisation classes.
He also attended improvisation masterclasses with Barry Harris, Ulf Radelius, Skip Haden and Jarmo Savolainen.

 Work & Activities

Together with Concepción Rodríguez, he performed as a piano accompanist at the Silver Medals Ceremony of the European Commission in Luxembourg in 1999.
He has developed an intensive activity as an accompanist piano. He carried out many concerts and tours all around Galicia and the rest of Spain as a pianist of Terra Nosa Choral Society.

He carried out many concerts with ‘Pentafonía’ (quintet) and ‘Drops’ (jazz quartet) throughout the year. Together with Laura Alonso (soprano), he recorded "Na boca das Camelias" in 2003. At the moment, he is teaching piano and harmony at the Music Conservatoire of Noia (A Coruña).
He also collaborates as a pianist with "Kin García Trío”, who have just presented "O Lobo morde a man".
Together with Laura Alonso, he recorded “Lúa descolorida” (Columna Música, 2005) that was well received by the critics.