Internationally renowned Steinway Artists, Carles & Sofia piano duo, have always been praised for their sensitivity, their extraordinary ability to bring an audience to tears, as well as for their brilliant technique, passion, unparalleled quality of sound and infinite elegance.

For a few years now and in parallel with their international concert activity, they have dedicated themselves to helping young artists, mentoring them, giving them support, and enlightening their musical careers.

Under the umbrella of Carles & Sofia Music Foundation and in the continuous wish to keep caring about and supporting young musicians, “Carles & Sofia International Piano Competition” main mission is to discover new true artists with strong musical personality, sensitivity, and power of communication, and to help them boost their career.

Each year the competition will give tribute to a legendary pianist, one of Carles & Sofia’s references during their growth as artists.

First edition paid tribute to Artur Rubinstein and the second one was dedicated to legendary pianist Wilhelm Kempff.

The third edition is devoted to outstanding Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha, on the 100th Anniversary of her birth (1923-2009).

An outstanding opportunity for young musicians to be listened by the internationally recognised pianists in the jury and to be awarded with the tools that can enlighten their musical paths.

Love, passion, discipline, willpower, perseverance and above all, resilience: This is the summary of Carles & Sofia’s life and their key to success.

Carles & Sofia played together for the first time in 1987, when Carles was 17 and Sofia 22. From the first moment, an extraordinarily unique and strong bond was established: A total understanding, not only musically but also on a personal level, with a profound admiration one to each other, which led to a deep love.

The beginnings were not easy because of the age difference, but despite disapproval in the environment, they decided to follow their hearts and continue with their relationship.

From a professional point of view, a dilemma appeared in Carles’life. At that moment, he was competing as a professional athlete and preparing for the Olympics in Barcelona’92. It was clear for him that he would not have time to train as an elite athlete, compete at the highest level, practice the piano, rehearse with Sofia, and play concerts. He had to make an important decision. His heart felt that he had to lean towards the piano and Sofia. And he did.

Since then, they have always been together in both their personal and professional paths.

Life would put them through their first examination right away: Sofia started to feel sick and was going back and forth from hospital without a diagnose. After four years, the doctors diagnosed Sofia with a coeliac disease. Carles was taking care of her all the time and after that, their relationship grew stronger.

They studied in the USA for 2 years and upon return to Europe, a second devastating blow struck their lives: Sofia needed to be operated on her left hand: Guyon’s Canal syndrome. They were both afraid of the results of the operation. The uncertainty of not being able to play after the operation was an excessively big fear for both. She fortunately recovered after the operation and rehabilitation and could play again.

Some years later, having gone back to the musical activity and having begun to achieve international acclaim, a new and unexpected blow shook their lives: On the same left hand, but in another spot, a tumour appeared, which needed to be removed. Luckily enough, the tumour was benign, and she did recover again after some months.

Carles’ unlimited sustain was one of the greatest secrets to overcoming adversity.

More than 30 years later, against all odds, Carles & Sofia have performed in the main halls of the international music scene, have gained recognition among public, critics and musicians alike, and are known for taking the piano four hands to another level.

The path to personal and professional fulfilment is not always easy. Carles & Sofia know that if you have a powerful “reason why” and resilience, you have a much better chance of making your dreams come true.

Carles and Sofia are an example of overcoming misfortune through their love for each other and their passion for music -their “reason why”-, which did not let them give up.

“Their inherent virtuosity always seeks to serve the meeting of two souls in communion with the audience (miles away from the superficiality derived from today’s fashionable ‘show-off’)” – New York Piano Group.

During all their career, Carles and Sofia have been fighting against the stigma of the piano four hands being considered as something “for fun”, something easier than playing piano solo, something light, weak.

Some people consider the repertoire for four hands “not serious”, unsubstantial. It is true that some easy repertoire for four hands exists, especially for pedagogical purposes. But there is lots of exceedingly difficult repertoire full of profound music, including orchestral transcriptions, with dramatism, bravura, lyricism, and virtuosity, which makes the piano four hands playing something really serious.

Carles & Sofia have been champions on proving how serious can be to play the piano four hands, not only by playing all the repertoire originally written for this ensemble and the most virtuoso and demanding transcriptions, but by adding their own personal projects and enlarging and enriching the 4-handed literature. They have commissioned the transcriptions of carefully chosen works which no one before has dared to transcribe. While staying creative and working close to contemporary composers, they have had the chance to commission to them a completely new and unique repertoire, taking the four hands playing to another dimension. Carles & Sofia love the repertoire full of emotion, lyricism, deepness, and drama.

In some circles, four-hands in one piano was considered “easy”. However, history, great musicians and high-level scholars have proven that it happens to be one of the most difficult, if not the most, specialities in chamber music. Many great pianists have refused to play four-hands.

It is so difficult, technically -which clearly is- because of the limitations of movements of the two pianists, for instance. But above all, musically and emotionally, because the two partners need to sound as one.  As Schubert said: The four hands playing is “the place of exchange and friendly dialogue, symbol of fraternal communion within the same emotional universe”.

Playing the piano four hands requires extraordinary technical ability, remarkable adaptation and a mutual comprehension and symbiosis that only comes after years of working together, especially when “feeling the music” the same way. It is not only a question of “playing together, heating the notes at the same time”, but above all, a question of feeling together, expressing the emotions of the music together, communicating the music the same way, together, as if it were one only performer.

From their very first concert, Carles & Sofia have been praised for being “Four hands, one feeling” and “Four hands for serious”.