"There are people who have the capacity to create a vibrant atmosphere of positive energy around themselves, that captivate and lead the spirit, filling it with new strength... Pablo Varela possesses this quality. His musical gesture is explosive. There's no space for uncertainty in his baton. In him, one notes the difference between the interpreter and the performer. And I must reiterate that the artistry isn't only a matter of efficient performance, but rather boundless interpretation. Pablo Varela's performances with the Yucatan Symphony will be memorable". [After his appearances on November 14 & 16, 2008, with the Yucatan Symphony Orchestra] - Víctor Salas, Por Esto! Newspaper (November 2008, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico).
"In an exhilarating concert, Mexican Maestro Pablo Varela bid farewell
Venezuela after two weeks of intense orchestral activity in the
country. The José Félix Ribas Hall of the Teresa Carreño Cultural
Complex was the scene where Varela masterfully led the National
Philharmonic Orchestra" - Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias (Caracas, November 2005).
"Our countryman is skilled with rigorous technique, strong command of the baton, and clear, precise, nuanced dynamics. Watching him in the orchestra pit facing extreme difficulties that are presented by such a complex score gives us the feeling of being in front of a gifted and well prepared musician..." [Regarding his work as assistant with the Opera de Bellas Artes, Wagner / Siegfried] - Manuel Yrizar, Pro-Ópera Magazine (México, April 2005).
"...Pablo Varela proved to be a most impressive conductor. [About Don Pasquale for the Tijuana Opera] The entire opera moved as a light breeze. The opera is filled with beautiful music, and his sensitive interpretation brought beauty to each scene. The orchestra played very well under his direction, and several instrumental soloists excelled in difficult passages. Most noteworthy were the vocal ensembles in which the soloists were carefully balanced and sang as one with the orchestra, The Maestro's care with those moments produced some of the most beautiful music I have heard" - Max Gosezky, Critic (Tijuana, August 2004).
"...he has the makings of a very fine conductor. [About his musical assistance for the Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Rome, in Mahler Symphony No. 2] He proved most professional in quite difficult circumstances and showed great passion, intelligence and practicality at all times.." - Mark Wigglesworth, Conductor (Rome, October 2003).
"Orchestra Conductor of great talent and bright future. His amazing talent and musical abilities have not only allowed him to succeed in his field, but also to earn great respect from those who have had the opportunity to work together with him. His work in Italy has been received with much appraisal.." - Sandro Gorli, Artistic and Music Director of the Divertimento Ensemble, Milan.
One of the brightest of a new generation of Latin American conductors, Pablo Varela was born in Tijuana, Mexico in 1973. He studied orchestral conducting at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan and composition with Franco Donatoni at the Lorenzo Perosi Academy in Biella and at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, where in 1997 he won the prestigious Diploma of Merit. He is the founder and artistic director of the International Philharmonia of the Californias.
In 2003, Mark Wigglesworth invited him as his musical assistant with the Orchestra of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome and since 2001, he has worked as Assistant Music Director with the Opera de Bellas Artes of Mexico, the highlight of which has been his participation in Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. His 2004 opera debut with the Tijuana Opera in Donizetti's Don Pasquale was an acclaimed public and critical success. In 2006, he also began an exciting collaboration as Guest Director of Coro del Teatro de Bellas Artes preparing Die Fledermaus, L'Orfeo, Dialogues des Carmélites, Trionfo di Afrodite, Les Noces, Beethoven's Fantasy op. 80 and Ninth Symphony, and the 2007 Ramon Vargas Gala.
In Europe, he has conducted the Sicilian Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Divertimento Ensemble of Milan, the Echos Ensemble of Lodi, the Guido d'Arezzo Symphony Orchestra, the Percussion Art Quartet of Munich, the Ensemble Rotterdams Conservatorium in Holland, and the Bacau Philharmonic in Romania. In South America, he is a frequent guest conductor of the National Philharmonic of Venezuela and in Mexico, the National Symphony Orchestra, the OFUNAM, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Mexico City, the Querétaro Philharmonic Orchestra, Xalapa Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of Baja California, the Michoacan Symphony Orchestra, the Bellas Artes Chamber Orchestra, the Bellas Artes Soloists Ensemble, the Carlos Chavez Symphony Orchestra, the Yucatan Symphony Orchestra and the International Philharmonia of the Californias which was founded by him in 2003.
Highlighting his strong social commitment, Pablo has created specific music programs aimed at all possible sectors of society. Most notable are his collaborations since 2004 with the Bellas Artes Chamber Orchestra, with whom he created the "Social Concerts." In 2006, at the invitation of Dr. José Antonio Abreu, Pablo Varela worked with the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and the State Foundation for the National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela (FESNOJIV), carrying out educational activities in Barquisimeto, Estado de Lara.
Pablo is a frequent guest conductor in prestigious international festivals such as the OSTERFESTIVAL of Hall in Tirol, Austria, the Summer Music Festival of Catania, and the ContemporaneaMente Festival of Lodi, Italy. Responsible for numerous world premieres, Varela was Principal Conductor of the CAOTHNOS 1998 Music Series in Rotterdam, Netherlands, a musical project devoted exclusively to contemporary music.
In 1999, he was distinguished as a Cultural Ambassador of Tijuana, a lifetime distinction conferred by the Government of this city in recognition of his artistic merits.
Pablo Varela lives in Florence, Italy. He currently teaches Orchestra Conducting at the "Umberto Giordano" State Conservatory of Music in Foggia, Italy. He is represented by Hispania Clásica Artists Management.
