Bachauer concert series

Nov 10, 2023 : 7:30 pm

Session 118

¡Jaleo!

Acclaimed as “the Spanish pianist of his generation,” José Ramón Mendez makes his Bachauer debut in a concert of evocative lyricism showcasing the music of Chopin and famed Spanish composers Albéniz and Granados.

José Ramón Mendez

Described as "an artist with a polished sound and tremendous constructive power" and hailed by Hoja del Lunes de Madrid as "the Spanish pianist of his generation," José Ramón Mendez is one of the most exciting Spanish pianists of today.

Recent performances include Chopin's first piano concerto with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra and Manuel de Falla's "Nights in the Gardens of Spain" with the Nittany Valley Symphony, as well as numerous solo and chamber music performances in the United States, Europe, and Asia. His playing has been featured on WQXR's "Performance Today" and on Classical KMFA.

Mendez first gained international recognition when he performed Liszt's first piano concerto under the direction of Sergiu Commissiona at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Since then, he has concertized extensively in his native Spain, the United States, Italy, England, Portugal, Holland, and Japan to great acclaim. With his poetry, intellect, and masterful technique, he has been praised by critics and celebrated by audiences around the world.

Formerly on the piano faculty at University of Texas at Austin, New York University, and Pennsylvania State University, Mendez was most recently Associate Professor of Piano at Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music.

Frédéric Chopin

Prelude in C-sharp Minor, op. 45

Mazurka in E Minor, op. 17, no. 2

Mazurka in A Minor, op. 67, no. 4

Mazurka in C-Sharp Minor, op. 63, no. 3

Nocturne in D-Flat Major, op. 27, no. 2

Barcarolle in F-Sharp Major, op. 60

Intermission

Padre Antonio Soler

Sonata in D-flat Major, R. 88

Isaac Albéniz

from Iberia