UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State piano faculty member Jose Ramon Mendez will present a public solo recital as part of the Marian Garcia International Competition and Teacher Workshop at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27, in Esber Recital Hall. Hosted by the Penn State School of Music's piano faculty, the workshop typically includes competitions for collegiate and high school pianists, masterclasses, music teacher workshops, and recitals. The festival was created through a generous grant of Edith Garcia, mother of local physician Dr. Marian Garcia. Admission is free.
The recital will also be available via livestream video on the Penn State School of Music website.
Program
Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV543 - Johann Sebastian Bach (arranged for piano by Franz Liszt)
Six Preludes - Sergei Rachmaninoff
- Prelude in F-sharp Minor, Op.23 No. 1
- Prelude in D Major, Op. 23 No. 4
- Prelude in E-flat Major, Op. 23 No. 6
- Prelude in C Minor, Op. 23 No. 7
- Prelude in B Minor, Op. 32 No. 10
- Prelude in G-sharp Minor, Op. 32 No. 12
Sonata No.3 in F Minor, Op. 5 - Johannes Brahms
- Allegro maestoso
- Andante. Andante espressivo - Andante molto
- Scherzo. Allegro energico avec trio
- Intermezzo (Rückblick). Andante molto
- Finale. Allegro moderato ma rubato
Described as “an artist with a polished sound and tremendous constructive power” and hailed by the Hoja del Lunes de Madrid, as “the Spanish pianist of his generation,” Mendez is one of the most exciting Spanish pianists on the concert scene today.
Mendez received his first music instruction from his father, and by the age of 7 was already performing on Spanish television and radio stations. He 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 poetic performance expression, intellect, and masterful technique, he has been praised by critics and celebrated by audiences around the world.
At the age of 18, Mendez’s success brought him to the United States, where he began his studies with Solomon Mikowsky at the Manhattan School of Music. He also completed his doctor of musical arts degree there under the tutelage of legendary pianist Byron Janis, a pupil of Vladimir Horowitz and Miyoko Lotto. While a student, he won top prizes in the Pilar Bayona International Piano Competition, the Hilton Head Island International Piano Competition, the Frederick Chopin Competition in New York, and the Hermanos Guerrero International Piano Competition, among others.
Mendez has been a guest performer at many music festivals, including the Caramoor Festival, the Barge Music Series, the Festival Internacional de Piano de las Islas Canarias, and the Santander International Music Festival, to name a few. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with such distinguished artists as Karl Leister, Itzhak Perlman, Michael Tree, and Pinchas Zukerman.
His professional teaching career began in 1996, when he was invited to teach masterclasses at the Gijon School of Music. He gave masterclasses at the Lugo Professional Conservatory of Music in 1999 and, most recently, at the Aviles Conservatory and the Santiago Conservatory. He has also taught during the summers at the Perlman Music Program, a program for gifted young musicians founded by Itzhak Perlman. He previously held faculty positions at the University of Texas at Austin and at New York University's Steinhardt School. During the summers, Mendez serves as executive director of the Stony Brook International Piano Festival and is also co-director of the Gijon International Piano Festival in Gijon, Spain.