Alexis Cárdenas & RECOVECO

Alexis Cárdenas is one of the most important violinists of his generation. His incredible curiosity and knowledge of multiple world cultures have allowed him to develop a unique instrumental language that transcends the boundaries between musical genres. Alexis breaks down the barriers between classical, jazz, world music, improvisation, and contemporary music, effortlessly navigating all these realms.

He has been a laureate in international violin competitions such as the Tibor Varga (Switzerland), Henryk Szeryng (Mexico), Fritz Kreisler (Austria), Long-Thibaud (France), and Montreal (Canada).

This artist has performed on international stages in Europe, South America, the United States, Japan, China, and Russia, with prestigious orchestras such as the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre Symphonique de Radio France, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.

Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, in 1976, Alexis Cárdenas began his violin studies at the age of seven. At 12, he played the Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, by Felix Mendelssohn, and the following year, he performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. He continued his training at the Juilliard School of Music in New York with Margaret Pardee, and in 1995, he moved to France to study at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse de Paris (CNSMD). There, he was guided by masters Olivier Charlier, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, and Roland Daugareil. At the end of his studies at CNSMD, he received the First Prize unanimously and with honors.
Alexis Cárdenas served as the concertmaster of the Orchestre National d'Île-de-France from 2010 until December 2023.

Recoveco, a Spanish word very popular with writers as a metaphor, describes a little path with unpredictable twists and turns or a hidden nook in an old house. It also signifies a ruse or ploy used by someone to realize a goal. It is also the name given to the group by Venezuelan composer and mandolinist Cristóbal Soto when, in 1996, he formed it in Paris with Venezuelan violinist Alexis Cárdenas, Colombian bass player and composer Nelson Gómez and Colombian guitarist and composer Francisco González.
RECOVECO thus became an acronym for the musical encounter between Venezuela and Colombia. Since then, the artists belonging to Recoveco have travelled the world playing their very distinctive blend of music which happily integrates the subtlety of academic instrument technique, the virtuosity that freely springs from their improvisations and the sensuality inherent in the traditional melodies of Latin America.

Members:

Alexis CARDENAS – vioară
Leonidas RONDON – cuatro
Nelson GOMEZ – guitarrón
Francisco GONZALEZ – chitară