Identical twins Fabiana and Paula Chávez, known as the "Chávez Twins," have captivated audiences worldwide with their dynamic performances and magnetic stage presence. As an acclaimed piano duo, they seamlessly blend technical brilliance with expressive artistry, earning recognition on prestigious international stages.
Born in Buenos Aires, they commenced their musical journey at the Santa Ana Institute under Nélida Sánchez and received further guidance from Elsa Púppulo. They later obtained a bachelor’s degree from the National University of Arts and a master’s degree in performance from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, studying under Gabriele Baldocci, Martino Tirimo, and Christine Croshaw. During their postgraduate studies, they were awarded scholarships from Argentina's National Fund of Arts.
Their performances have graced renowned venues across the globe. In Buenos Aires, they have played at La Usina del Arte, the French Alliance of Mar del Plata, the Dante Alighieri Association, the School of Fine Arts of Pergamino, the Scientific Society, Fernández Blanco Museum, and the Golden Hall of La Plata's Town Hall, among many others. They were twice awarded the Notable Bars Prize (2017, 2020), securing their place in its prestigious concert series.
Their international engagements include performances at Maison de l’Argentine (Cité Internationale Universitaire) in Paris, Waalse Kerk in Breda (Netherlands), and Dr. Espriu Club Hall in Barcelona (Spain). In the UK, they have performed at esteemed venues such as St Martin-in-the-Fields, the Old Royal Naval College Chapel, St Alfege Church, Faversham Assembly Rooms, St James’s Church Piccadilly, and the Royal National Institute for Blind People.
In 2015, they represented Argentina at the Visually Impaired Musicians Lives Conference (VIMLC) at UCL Institute of Education, combining their musical expertise with motivational talks. In 2019, they were honoured with a nomination for the "Women of the Year Lunch and Awards" at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.
Since moving to London in 2021, the Chávez Twins have continued to make an impact. In July 2022, they performed at the Festival Finale of the Harwich Festival at St Nicholas Church. They have also collaborated with the Baluji Music Foundation, performing with the Inner Vision Orchestra at Victoria Square for the Birmingham Festival 2022/Commonwealth Games. Their UK performances include a duo recital at Lauderdale House in London and a lunchtime concert at Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space, Symphony Hall, Birmingham.
More recently, they have worked with Live Music Now, bringing live performances to healthcare settings, care homes, schools, and community centres across London.
Fabiana and Paula are passionate educators with extensive experience in teaching piano, musicianship, and curriculum music. They are currently members of the Tri-Borough Music Hub team, where they play a key role in the Musical Senses programme—an initiative that provides visually impaired, deaf, and hard-of-hearing young musicians with inspiring, engaging, and high-quality musical experiences. Performances for this programme are held at the Royal College of Music. In 2023, they also contributed to the Music Makes Me programme at the Royal Albert Hall, a large-scale event that brought together musicians and students from the boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, and City of Westminster.
Despite losing their sight to Stargardt disease as teenagers, Fabiana and Paula turned this challenge into a powerful purpose. They founded Piano sin Barreras to empower visually impaired musicians, breaking barriers through recitals, conferences, and workshops worldwide, and inspiring others to pursue their musical passions without limits.
Fabiana and Paula not only feel a great passion for music, but they are also thoroughly interested in sharing their music research findings about piano practice related to vision loss.
The following is a list of their published works:
Las Herramientas Tiflotecnológicas Aplicadas a la Música" (p. 66), by Fabiana Chavez. (2010). IX Annual Meeting of the Argentine Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
Estrategias de Estudio Utilizadas por Pianistas Ciegos" (p. 75) by Paula Chávez. (2010). IX Annual Meeting of the Argentine Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
"La Inclusión de Personas con Discapacidad Visual en Instituciones Educativas Musicales" and the workshop "La Enseñanza de la Música a Personas con Discapacidad Visual" , by Fabiana and Paula Chávez. (2010). I meeting of Music at the National University of Rosario-Faculty of Humanities and Art. Rosario, Argentina.
"A Prática Musical e suas Possíveis Adaptações diante da Perda da Visão" , by Fabiana and Paula Chávez. (2010). I Meeting “Art for Everyone” at Padre Chico Institute for the Blind, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
"Acquisition and Development of New Skills in Piano Practice After Vision Loss", by Fabiana and Paula Chávez. (2015). VIML) Visually Impaired Musicians’ Lives conference, UCL Institute of Education. London, UK.
"Challenges Faced by Visually Impaired Musicians in Orchestras”, by Paula Chavez. (2023). Tri-Borough Music Hub Newsletter. London, UK.