On November 18, 1763, the Mozart family arrived in Paris, traveling from Brussels as part of a European tour devised by Leopold that had started earlier that summer. They stayed in Paris for five months, during which young Wolfgang published his first works and celebrated his eighth birthday in January. His sister, Maria Anna, known as Nannerl, was 12. The children were presented to the public as true marvels, astonishing audiences with their extraordinary musical talent. German writer and diplomat Frédéric-Melchior von Grimm, then living in Paris and a friend of Diderot and the Encyclopedists, described them in his diary entry for December 1:

“True prodigies are so rare that we must take note of them when we encounter one. A chapel master from Salzburg named Mozart has just arrived here with two delightful children. His 11-year-old daughter plays the clavier brilliantly, executing the most difficult pieces with astonishing precision. Her brother, who will turn seven next January, is such an extraordinary phenomenon that it is hard to believe what we are seeing and hearing.”

Since they won Top Prize and Special Audience Prize in the 54th ARD International Music Competition (Munich, 2005), Duo del Valle, Víctor and Luis del Valle (Vélez-Málaga, Spain) have soon been acclaimed as one of Europe’s most distinguished chamber music ensembles. They have also been awarded the Silver Medal in the “Primer Palau programme” (Palau de la Música de Cataluña. Barcelona, 2005). They have been Winners in the “Musiques d”Ensemble 2008” Competition (Paris), “Special Audience Prize” in the XI Dranoff International Two Piano Competition (Miami) and Winners and Special Prize to the best Mozart performance in the IV International Piano Duo Competition of Bialystok (Poland, 2008). In April 2011, they have been awarded the Audience Prize in the XXI Central European Music Festival (Zilina, Slovakia), where most of the winners of outstanding music competitions took part (Queen Elisabeth Competition, Tchaikovsky Competition, ARD…).

Dúo del Valle, Pianos
Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León (OSCyL)
Pablo González, Conductor