GERWIG & GONZALEZ
MEXICO
The Gerwig & González piano duo is one of the leaders in this genre at an international level.
This magnificent duo of virtuoso pianists has stood out for the majesty and refinement of their interpretations, both on one and on two pianos, as well as a perfect mastery of technique that electrifies and captivates the audience from the first moment on stage.
It has been presented in concert halls and festivals in Europe and America, such as the "Mozartwoche" Festival in Salzburg, the Beethoven Fest in Bonn, the International Festival "Klaviersommer" of the Beethoven House in Bonn, the “Redlands Bowl Summer Festival” in California, and the International Piano Festival "In black and white" at the National Center for the Arts in Mexico City, among others. In Mexico they have been soloists of the State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra and the Jalisco Philharmonic.
The Gerwig & González Duo is the winner of the International Duo Piano Competition “Concours Grieg” in Oslo, Norway, in 2008; They have also been winners of the special prize for the best interpretation of the work of Edvard Grieg awarded by the “Oslo Grieg Society & Norwegian Academy of Music”.
His interpretations of Spanish music are of an enigmatic skill and mastery of style that have been compared by critics to those of the great performers of Spanish piano music such as Arthur Rubinstein and Magda Tagliaferro.
Coming from such different cultures, Gerwig & González enjoy very diverse but complementary instincts and talents; this gives your performances a dynamic range and energy that make them mesmerizing.
Efraín González Ruano began piano lessons with his mother, Profra. Ana María Ruano and later with teachers Francisco Orozco, Adriana Martínez, Joel Qui Vega, Anatoly Zatín and Leonor Montijo, with whom he graduated as a music instructor at the Music School of the University of Guadalajara in 1994. Later She moved to Tijuana to continue with the teachers Farizat Tchibirova and Irina Tcketchko.
Christine Gerwig began on the piano with her grandmother, the pianist Gilberte Van Dicke, and later studied with Regina Brunning in Cologne and Roberto Szidón in Switzerland and Hannover, Germany.
Christine Gerwig and Efraín González Ruano (Germany-Mexico) have shared their talent to form a piano ensemble for 15 years. They met at the “Mozarteum” University in Salzburg, Austria, in 2001, when they were both studying solo pianist with Professor Alfons Kontarsky, who inspired them and introduced them to the rich and interesting world of piano duo literature. (Alfons Kontarsky, with his brother Alois Kontarsky, formed one of the most important legendary piano duos of the 20th century.)
Parallel to their Master's studies in solo piano, Christine Gerwig and Efraín González specialized in piano duo literature at the Mozarteum University, studying in addition to their mentor Alfons Kontarsky, with Rolf Plagge and in 2004 in Munich , Germany, with Yaara Tal & Andreas Groethuysen, who experienced a profound effect on their artistic identity as a duo.
Gerwig & González conduct master courses and seminars for students and teachers at conservatories and universities in Germany and Mexico; They have been invited as juries in international competitions and develop socio-cultural projects in countries such as Nepal, India, Kenya and Mexico, where they support conservatories with master classes and concerts in communities far from big cities.
In Germany they run an institute focused on talented children who are already winners of international competitions.
Efraín González and Christine Gerwig are married and have two children who, at their young age, are already talented pianists.
