Piano Recital: José Menor

The Pharos Arts Foundation, with the support of the Embassy of Spain in Cyprus and Instituto Cervantes in Nicosia, presents a piano recital with José Menor, recognized as “one of the most outstanding Spanish pianists of the new generation” (The Daily Telegraph). The recital, which will take place on Friday 19 February 2016 at The Shoe Factory, Nicosia / 8:30pm, will commemorate Spanish composer Enrique Granados' centenary.

THE PROGRAMME:

One of the most colourful turn-of-the-century Spanish musicians, composer and pianist Enrique Granados is best remembered for his evocative solo piano works, as well a great deal of orchestral music and six operas. Granados was one of the great pianists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and virtually all his music relies heavily on the Catalan and Spanish folk idiom. An important number of Enrique Granados’ works find their inspiration in the paintings of Francisco de Goya. These works include Granados’ essential set of pieces for piano, the suite Goyescas “Los Majos Enamorados”, which represents, together with Albeniz’s Iberia, the pinnacle of the Spanish piano literature. But the concept of Goyescas is even greater, as it also involves the opera Goyescas, which was based on the material of these piano pieces as well as other piano pieces like El Pelele and Intermezzo, Jacara, Crepusculo and Serenata Goyesca. Quoting the composer’s own words: “I am enamored with the psychology of Goya, with his palette, with him, with his muse the Duchess of Alba, with his quarrels with his models, his loves and flatteries. That whitish pink of the cheeks, contrasting with the blend of black velvet; those subterranean creatures, hands of mother‑of‑pearl and jasmine resting on jet trinkets, have possessed me.”

JOSÉ MENOR / piano

Recognized as “one of the most outstanding Spanish pianists of the new generation” (The Daily Telegraph, after his recital debut at the Wigmore Hall in London), José Menor is an artist defying classification, feeling equally at home as “the great ambassador of the Spanish music” (Melómano, 2014), or as “a revolutionary of his instrument”, and exploring the limits of the most innovative vanguard of this century.

José Menor is quickly establishing himself as the Spanish pianist with a huge projection in the field of contemporary music. He earned four stars in the German magazine Fono Forum due to his comprehensive recording of the work of Joan Guinjoan, which was described by Melomano magazine as an “industry milestone”. Born in Sabadell, José studied piano, composition and conducting at the Conservatorio Superior Municipal de Barcelona. He completed his studies with a Masters from the Royal College of Music in London, and an Artist’s Diploma from Yale University (USA).

Awarded in several international competitions, José Menor made his international debut at the age of fifteen at Carnegie Hall in New York, after winning the first prize in the youth category of The World Piano Competition in Cincinnati, United States. In 2009, José Menor was enthusiastically received by the international press in his debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) in London, playing the Concierto Fantástico by Albéniz, on the centenary of the composer, premiering this concerto in different countries, including the premiere throughout the Americas, with the Symphonic Orchestra of Xalapa, (Mexico).

In May 2015, José Menor has made his debut in the prestigious Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele of Germany, performing the first monographic recital of piano solo of Hèctor Parra, composer with whom he collaborates regularly, after having also performed, last season, the premiere of his Piano Sonata in Spain, within the cycle of concerts of the BBVA Foundation in Bilbao. Upcoming engagements include, amongst others, recitals at the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona, the Carnegie Hall (Weill Hall) in New York and the Beijing Concert Hall, performing Goyescas to mark the Enrique Granados centenary.

José Menor performs regularly as a soloist with numerous orchestras in Europe, Latin America, Asia and the USA, including amongst others, Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra RTVE in Madrid, Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra (OBC), Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès (OSV), Philharmonic Orchestra of Wuhan (China); Chamber Orchestra of Birmingham, Philharmonic Orchestra of Montevideo (Uruguay), Wroclaw Philharmonic (Poland).

As a chamber musician, Menor has collaborated with renowned musicians and ensembles such as Philip Setzer (violinist of the Emerson Quartet), Ransom Wilson, David Cohen, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Dai Miyata, Peijun Xu, Istvan Vardai, the New York Chamber Musicians, amongst others. Nowadays, he regularly collaborates with violinist Francisco Fullana.

His unusual interest in Spanish contemporary music and his enthusiasm to spread this music all over the world, has led him to premiere new works and perform music by a number of composers such as Hector Parra, Benet Casablancas, Erkoreka Gabriel, Joan Albert Bitter, Josep Soler, Ramon Paus. Highlights of his own compositions include his work for piano Notes on Crossroads, which he premiered at the SGAE headquarters in Madrid, in October 2013, and RMSonce – a series of works for piano and electronics, which he premiered in New York in 2014.

José Menor was a Professor at the Conservatorio Superior de Música del Liceu in 2012/13 and between 2013 and 2015 he has become a ʺLeverhulme Artist" because of his junior fellowship with the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London.

Tickets: €15 / €10 Concessions & members of the Pharos Arts Foundation, Box Office: Directly from the Foundation’s website www.pharosartsfoundation.org/Tickets_online.htm or Tel. 9666-9003 (Monday - Friday 10:00am-3:00pm)