July 17 ~ The Spanish Influence
Program Introduction: Jeffrey Silberschlag
Carlos Guastavino “Rosita Iglesias’ Jose Cueto, violin Nancy Roldán, piano Astor Piazzolla Winter from Las cautro estaciones porteñas José Cueto, violin Nancy Roldán piano Astor Piazzolla Libertango Patagonia Winds Melissa Lindon, flute Emily Tsai, oboe Emily Robinson, clarinet Tia Wirtham, bassoon Jay Chadwick, horn Tim Mckay, percussion From Italy: The Alba Music Festival: Introduction by Federica Boffa Of Pio Cesare Wines in Alba Manuel de Falla Siete Canciones populare españolas Marta Facchera Elena Piva harps Intermission From Spain: John Psathas Gryftika for Solo Violin Diego Gabete, violin violin, Hallé Orchestra, UK Alba Music Festival Young Artist 2019 River Concert Series 2017 From St. Mary's College of Maryland: Introduction: Pedro Giraudo Astor Piazzolla Prepárense Asor Piazzolla Escaulo Pedro Giraudo Con Un Nudo En La Garganta Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet With The Chesapeake Orchestra From Spain: Joaquin Turina Rapsodia Sinfonica, Op. 66 for Piano and Orchestra Antonio Soria, piano soloist Guest Soloist at River Concert Series 2011 Orchestra Sinfonica UANL |
Performer Bios
Nancy Roldan
Recognized an “excellent pianist” by New York critics, and admired for the “beauty and clarity” of her tone and for her ability to “breathe life into the score,” Argentine born pianist Nancy Roldán has concertized worldwide in venues such as the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, Carnegie Hall, YASI Piano Salon, and the Bösendorfer Saal in Vienna, interpreting solo, chamber music, and repertory with orchestras. Several of her recitals have been broadcast live in Europe and the Americas. Special concerts include Homage to Casals (University of PR), the First Argentine Pianists’ Marathon at the Argentine Embassy in New York, Peabody’s film The Mind of Music, The golden Age of Tango at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC; the Festival of the Latin-American Arts in Pennsylvania; Piano Portraits of Latin America for the MTNA convention in Salt Lake City; and several appearances in International Festivals such as Ravello Music Festival in Italy, Buenos Aires 2000 IDRS Festival, the American Liszt Society’s Festivals in Washington, DC, Georgia, Virginia, and the Great Romantics Festival in Canada. In 2016 she and violinist José Cueto were featured artists performing the opening recital at the Alba Music Festival in Piemonte, Italy, performing a full program with works by Astor Piazzolla arranged by Roldán.
Passionate for the performance of traditional as well as contemporary repertory, she has premiered numerous compositions for solo and chamber ensembles, many of which have been dedicated to her. Premieres in this category include works by Thomas Benjamin, Bryan Dykstra, Daniel Thomas Davis, Russell Nadel, Jorge Villavicencio-Grossman, and Andrew Gerle. She has also performed USA premieres of works by Argentine composers such as Carlos Guastavino-whose work she has championed since her early career. Her fascination with Tango and the music of Astor Piazzolla motivated her to transcribe several of his works for violin and piano. These works are featured in her celebrated 2016 CD Piazzolla, Here & Now — recorded in collaboration with violinist José Cueto and actor Gabriella Cavallero. Previous recordings include Horizons: Solo Piano Music of Latin America; Music of the Americas for two pianos, with duo piano partner Noel Lester (1951-2016); Celebrations, Music of Thomas Benjamin; and Argentina … Long Ago featuring solo and chamber music from Argentina. These collections reflect her personal mission to bring to the public music rarely heard. She has also produced On Wings of Angels and Remembrance with Mr. Cueto, and the 30th Anniversary Duo Celebration CD with Noel Lester. Nancy Roldán has been the recipient of several distinctions, a list of which appears here. Some aspects of her career are featured in the American Liszt Society Newsletter Interview (2014: 30-2) and others appear in the 2016 September/October Interview in Fanfare Magazine.
From 1988 through 2017, Nancy Roldán was actively involved with The American Liszt Society (ALS), serving as President of the Baltimore-Washington Chapter she founded (ALSBW); Coordinator of Chapters; National ALS Treasurer; and Member of the Board of Directors.In 2005, as president of the ALSBW and in collaboration with other professionals, she established the Liszt-Garrison Festival and International Competition that promoted the performance of Traditional and Modern repertory with emphasis on the music of Franz Liszt and of American Composers – also addressing the importance of Music and the role of Musicians in Society.
Throughout her professional career, she has held numerous international teaching and administrative positions. In 2007 she retired from her full-time Faculty position at Johns Hopkins University (Peabody Conservatory: 1976-2007). Previous appointments include the University of Puerto Rico and the PR Conservatory of Music then associated with the Festival Casals (1968-1974), UMBC where she served as Piano Chair, and the National University of Cuyo (UNC) in Argentina. She presents master classes, lectures and workshops on several performance related topics with emphasis on the Power of Joy, and Wellness in Performance – available to all audiences. She maintains a private and consulting studio in Maryland. For additional information on available workshops please visit here. She has presented master classes and workshops in the USA and abroad, including Brazil, Argentina, and Italy. She continues an active career as recitalist and collaborator.
She is a graduate from the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNC) in Argentina and holds master and doctorate degrees from the Peabody Conservatory at The Johns Hopkins University. Currently, she is dedicated to her work about composer Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000). Inspired by his life and music, and supported by a group of kindred spirits, Roldán has brought together Sonus Guastavino, a collective of international artists dedicated to the diffusion of the composer’s music, and the endorsement and presentations of other creative endeavors rooted in the universal spirit of folk traditions.
José Miguel Cueto
Violinist José Miguel Cueto was born in Puerto Rico, where he received his early musical training. After graduating from the Pablo Casals Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, he was awarded scholarships from the Institute of Culture of Puerto Rico and the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, where he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees, studying under laureate violinist, Berl Senofsky. During his time at Peabody he served as concertmaster of the conservatory orchestra and was chosen to perform Vivaldi's Triple Violin Concerto in the "Masters of Today and Tomorrow" concert series with his teachers Senofsky and Ruggiero Ricci, internationally distinguished violinists.
Cueto is in great demand as chamber musician, having performed with the Kennedy Center, Tidewater and Casals Festival Chamber Players, Washington Chamber Society, Melos Ensemble with internationally renowned clarinetist Gervase de Peyer, La Gesse Festival in France, Autunno Musicale Veronese and Alba Music Festival in Italy, and Three World Festival in China. At home with both traditional and contemporary repertoire, he has premiered several contemporary chamber music compositions by composers of the Américas. With longtime collaborator, Argentine pianist Nancy Roldán, he founded Alborada, a chamber music ensemble. As soloist, Cueto has performed in the US, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
Cueto has been admired by both the public and the critics for his "solid technique, as well as his rich and beautiful tone" (El Mundo, San Juan). STRAD magazine recognized Cueto's Carnegie Hall performance at Weill Recital Hall as "grounded, confident, and superb in all particulars." Cueto is concertmaster of Concert Artists of Baltimore and the Chesapeake Festival Orchestra. He is a recording artist and serves as artist in residence and head of the string department at St. Mary's College of Maryland. He is also lecturer for the Elder-hostel program at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University.
Emily Tsai
Quoted by DMV Classical as having “a consistently lovely tone and [taking] her melodic twists and turns with stylish assurance,” Emily Tsai began her musical studies at the age of four on the violin and started the oboe when she was ten. She won 2nd place in the Eastman Oboe and University of Maryland Concerto Competitions where she performed with the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra with added dance choreography. Based in the Washington, DC area, she is an active freelancer performing with the National Philharmonic, Amadeus Orchestra, Allentown Symphony Orchestra, Alexandria Symphony, Arlington Symphony and the McLean Symphony Orchestra. In past summers, Emily has attended the AIMs Festival in Austria, Mortizburg Music Festival in Germany, Alba Music Festival in Italy, Sarasota Music Festival, and many others, where she studied under such prominent oboists as Neil Black, Allan Vogel, Nancy King, Richard Killmer, Werner Herbers, Randall Ellis, John Ferillo, and Robert Sheena. Her main teachers include Mark Hill, Richard Killmer, and Malcolm Smith. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in Oboe Performance from the Eastman School of Music with a Performer’s Certificate and the Chamber Music Award, and her Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Rochester graduating Magna Cum Laude. She received her Master of Music from the University of Maryland where she was part of the Graduate Fellowship Quintet, SIREN.
Pedro Giraudo
Originally from Córdoba Argentina, Pedro Giraudo moved to New York City in 1996. Since then he has become a highly versatile bassist, composer and arranger, performing in a wide variety of musical projects, both his own award winning ensembles and as a member of several prominent ensembles, ranging from tango to jazz.
In 2014 Rubén Blades’ CD “Tangos” on which he recorded bass won two Grammys Awards (Best Tango Album & Best Latin Pop). Pedro Giraudo has collaborated with Grammy award winner Pablo Ziegler, 9 time Grammy award winner Paquito D’Rivera, and Dizzy Gillespie’s protégé William Cepeda, as well as ‘Tango meets Jazz’ guests: Branford Marsalis, Kenny Garret, Regina Carter, Nestor Torres, Miguel Zenon among many others. Pedro Giraudo has also been the musical director of Tango for All’s ‘Blind’, Mariela Franganillo Company’s “Tango Connection” and “Tango Recuerdo” and performed with U.S.’s most prominent tango ensembles including ‘Forever Tango’, Hector Del Curto’s Eternal Tango, Fernando Otero’s X-Tango and Daniel Binelli’s ‘Tango Metropolis’. He has participated in numerous jazz and music festivals throughout the North America, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia, and performed in venues such as The Blue Note (Japan & USA), Birdland (Austria), London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, Jazz Festival Royale in Thailand, Kennedy Center (Washington DC), Iridium, Jazz Standard, Blue Note, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall (NYC).
As a composer and arranger, Giraudo leads his own jazz and tango ensembles and has been hailed by critics as one of the most creative and daring bandleaders on the scene today. His compositions combine his love of classical forms, Argentine tango and folk music, and the spontaneity of jazz improvisation. The band, which boasts some of New York’s finest musicians, has performed regularly in the most prestigious jazz clubs in the New York City area, including the Jazz Standard, Birdland, The Jazz Gallery, Blue Note, Joe’s Pub, as well as abroad. John Murph of Downbeat described Giraudo’s music as “an opulent listening experience of modern, orchestral jazz, brimming with passionate improvisations, deliberate contrapuntal melodies and plush harmonies. Pedro Giraudo has also conducted the world renown WDR Big Band and Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. Pedro Giraudo also leads his own Tango Orchestra which debuted at Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing.
His discography includes ‘An Argentinian in New York’ (Zoho Music 2018), ‘Vigor Tanguero’ (Zoho Music 2018), ‘Cuentos’ (Zoho Music 2015), ‘Córdoba’ (Zoho Music 2011), ‘El Viaje’ (2009) , ‘Desconsuelo’ (2005), ‘Mr Vivo’ (2002) and ‘Destiny of Flowers’ (2000). ‘Córdoba’ won 2011 Latin Jazz Corner’s: “Latin Jazz Large Ensemble Album Of The Year”, “Latin Jazz Boundary Breaking Album Of The Year”,” South American Jazz Album Of The Year”, and “Latin Jazz Composition Of The Year”; while ‘El Viaje’ won 2010 “Best Latin Jazz Album Of The Year,” and “Best Latin Jazz Large Ensemble Album Of The Year,” as well as “Best Latin Jazz Composition”.
In 2013 Pedro Giraudo was commissioned by Música de Cámara a piece for string orchestra which will be presented in May 2014. He recently finished pieces for members of the San Diego Symphony and for Japanese clarinetist Sawako Yoshida. In 2008, Giraudo was awarded a composer’s commission through the Jazz Gallery in New York, for a new work for his large ensemble; and in 2010, he was commissioned by the JazzReach initiative to compose a new work for their Big Drum/Small World main-stage program.
He has played bass on dozens of recordings for the world’s leading labels including Sony, Warner, Nonesuch, Naxos and Harmonia Mundi, as well as for independent projects, and on movies including Oliver Stone’s ‘Wall Street II’. He is also the principal bassist of the Hudson Symphony Orchestra and the Música de Cámara String Ensemble. Pedro Giraudo is endorsed by the gold standard in string makers, D’Addario, and the outstanding Keeley Electronics.
Recognized an “excellent pianist” by New York critics, and admired for the “beauty and clarity” of her tone and for her ability to “breathe life into the score,” Argentine born pianist Nancy Roldán has concertized worldwide in venues such as the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, Carnegie Hall, YASI Piano Salon, and the Bösendorfer Saal in Vienna, interpreting solo, chamber music, and repertory with orchestras. Several of her recitals have been broadcast live in Europe and the Americas. Special concerts include Homage to Casals (University of PR), the First Argentine Pianists’ Marathon at the Argentine Embassy in New York, Peabody’s film The Mind of Music, The golden Age of Tango at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC; the Festival of the Latin-American Arts in Pennsylvania; Piano Portraits of Latin America for the MTNA convention in Salt Lake City; and several appearances in International Festivals such as Ravello Music Festival in Italy, Buenos Aires 2000 IDRS Festival, the American Liszt Society’s Festivals in Washington, DC, Georgia, Virginia, and the Great Romantics Festival in Canada. In 2016 she and violinist José Cueto were featured artists performing the opening recital at the Alba Music Festival in Piemonte, Italy, performing a full program with works by Astor Piazzolla arranged by Roldán.
Passionate for the performance of traditional as well as contemporary repertory, she has premiered numerous compositions for solo and chamber ensembles, many of which have been dedicated to her. Premieres in this category include works by Thomas Benjamin, Bryan Dykstra, Daniel Thomas Davis, Russell Nadel, Jorge Villavicencio-Grossman, and Andrew Gerle. She has also performed USA premieres of works by Argentine composers such as Carlos Guastavino-whose work she has championed since her early career. Her fascination with Tango and the music of Astor Piazzolla motivated her to transcribe several of his works for violin and piano. These works are featured in her celebrated 2016 CD Piazzolla, Here & Now — recorded in collaboration with violinist José Cueto and actor Gabriella Cavallero. Previous recordings include Horizons: Solo Piano Music of Latin America; Music of the Americas for two pianos, with duo piano partner Noel Lester (1951-2016); Celebrations, Music of Thomas Benjamin; and Argentina … Long Ago featuring solo and chamber music from Argentina. These collections reflect her personal mission to bring to the public music rarely heard. She has also produced On Wings of Angels and Remembrance with Mr. Cueto, and the 30th Anniversary Duo Celebration CD with Noel Lester. Nancy Roldán has been the recipient of several distinctions, a list of which appears here. Some aspects of her career are featured in the American Liszt Society Newsletter Interview (2014: 30-2) and others appear in the 2016 September/October Interview in Fanfare Magazine.
From 1988 through 2017, Nancy Roldán was actively involved with The American Liszt Society (ALS), serving as President of the Baltimore-Washington Chapter she founded (ALSBW); Coordinator of Chapters; National ALS Treasurer; and Member of the Board of Directors.In 2005, as president of the ALSBW and in collaboration with other professionals, she established the Liszt-Garrison Festival and International Competition that promoted the performance of Traditional and Modern repertory with emphasis on the music of Franz Liszt and of American Composers – also addressing the importance of Music and the role of Musicians in Society.
Throughout her professional career, she has held numerous international teaching and administrative positions. In 2007 she retired from her full-time Faculty position at Johns Hopkins University (Peabody Conservatory: 1976-2007). Previous appointments include the University of Puerto Rico and the PR Conservatory of Music then associated with the Festival Casals (1968-1974), UMBC where she served as Piano Chair, and the National University of Cuyo (UNC) in Argentina. She presents master classes, lectures and workshops on several performance related topics with emphasis on the Power of Joy, and Wellness in Performance – available to all audiences. She maintains a private and consulting studio in Maryland. For additional information on available workshops please visit here. She has presented master classes and workshops in the USA and abroad, including Brazil, Argentina, and Italy. She continues an active career as recitalist and collaborator.
She is a graduate from the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNC) in Argentina and holds master and doctorate degrees from the Peabody Conservatory at The Johns Hopkins University. Currently, she is dedicated to her work about composer Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000). Inspired by his life and music, and supported by a group of kindred spirits, Roldán has brought together Sonus Guastavino, a collective of international artists dedicated to the diffusion of the composer’s music, and the endorsement and presentations of other creative endeavors rooted in the universal spirit of folk traditions.
José Miguel Cueto
Violinist José Miguel Cueto was born in Puerto Rico, where he received his early musical training. After graduating from the Pablo Casals Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, he was awarded scholarships from the Institute of Culture of Puerto Rico and the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, where he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees, studying under laureate violinist, Berl Senofsky. During his time at Peabody he served as concertmaster of the conservatory orchestra and was chosen to perform Vivaldi's Triple Violin Concerto in the "Masters of Today and Tomorrow" concert series with his teachers Senofsky and Ruggiero Ricci, internationally distinguished violinists.
Cueto is in great demand as chamber musician, having performed with the Kennedy Center, Tidewater and Casals Festival Chamber Players, Washington Chamber Society, Melos Ensemble with internationally renowned clarinetist Gervase de Peyer, La Gesse Festival in France, Autunno Musicale Veronese and Alba Music Festival in Italy, and Three World Festival in China. At home with both traditional and contemporary repertoire, he has premiered several contemporary chamber music compositions by composers of the Américas. With longtime collaborator, Argentine pianist Nancy Roldán, he founded Alborada, a chamber music ensemble. As soloist, Cueto has performed in the US, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
Cueto has been admired by both the public and the critics for his "solid technique, as well as his rich and beautiful tone" (El Mundo, San Juan). STRAD magazine recognized Cueto's Carnegie Hall performance at Weill Recital Hall as "grounded, confident, and superb in all particulars." Cueto is concertmaster of Concert Artists of Baltimore and the Chesapeake Festival Orchestra. He is a recording artist and serves as artist in residence and head of the string department at St. Mary's College of Maryland. He is also lecturer for the Elder-hostel program at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University.
Emily Tsai
Quoted by DMV Classical as having “a consistently lovely tone and [taking] her melodic twists and turns with stylish assurance,” Emily Tsai began her musical studies at the age of four on the violin and started the oboe when she was ten. She won 2nd place in the Eastman Oboe and University of Maryland Concerto Competitions where she performed with the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra with added dance choreography. Based in the Washington, DC area, she is an active freelancer performing with the National Philharmonic, Amadeus Orchestra, Allentown Symphony Orchestra, Alexandria Symphony, Arlington Symphony and the McLean Symphony Orchestra. In past summers, Emily has attended the AIMs Festival in Austria, Mortizburg Music Festival in Germany, Alba Music Festival in Italy, Sarasota Music Festival, and many others, where she studied under such prominent oboists as Neil Black, Allan Vogel, Nancy King, Richard Killmer, Werner Herbers, Randall Ellis, John Ferillo, and Robert Sheena. Her main teachers include Mark Hill, Richard Killmer, and Malcolm Smith. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in Oboe Performance from the Eastman School of Music with a Performer’s Certificate and the Chamber Music Award, and her Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Rochester graduating Magna Cum Laude. She received her Master of Music from the University of Maryland where she was part of the Graduate Fellowship Quintet, SIREN.
Pedro Giraudo
Originally from Córdoba Argentina, Pedro Giraudo moved to New York City in 1996. Since then he has become a highly versatile bassist, composer and arranger, performing in a wide variety of musical projects, both his own award winning ensembles and as a member of several prominent ensembles, ranging from tango to jazz.
In 2014 Rubén Blades’ CD “Tangos” on which he recorded bass won two Grammys Awards (Best Tango Album & Best Latin Pop). Pedro Giraudo has collaborated with Grammy award winner Pablo Ziegler, 9 time Grammy award winner Paquito D’Rivera, and Dizzy Gillespie’s protégé William Cepeda, as well as ‘Tango meets Jazz’ guests: Branford Marsalis, Kenny Garret, Regina Carter, Nestor Torres, Miguel Zenon among many others. Pedro Giraudo has also been the musical director of Tango for All’s ‘Blind’, Mariela Franganillo Company’s “Tango Connection” and “Tango Recuerdo” and performed with U.S.’s most prominent tango ensembles including ‘Forever Tango’, Hector Del Curto’s Eternal Tango, Fernando Otero’s X-Tango and Daniel Binelli’s ‘Tango Metropolis’. He has participated in numerous jazz and music festivals throughout the North America, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia, and performed in venues such as The Blue Note (Japan & USA), Birdland (Austria), London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, Jazz Festival Royale in Thailand, Kennedy Center (Washington DC), Iridium, Jazz Standard, Blue Note, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall (NYC).
As a composer and arranger, Giraudo leads his own jazz and tango ensembles and has been hailed by critics as one of the most creative and daring bandleaders on the scene today. His compositions combine his love of classical forms, Argentine tango and folk music, and the spontaneity of jazz improvisation. The band, which boasts some of New York’s finest musicians, has performed regularly in the most prestigious jazz clubs in the New York City area, including the Jazz Standard, Birdland, The Jazz Gallery, Blue Note, Joe’s Pub, as well as abroad. John Murph of Downbeat described Giraudo’s music as “an opulent listening experience of modern, orchestral jazz, brimming with passionate improvisations, deliberate contrapuntal melodies and plush harmonies. Pedro Giraudo has also conducted the world renown WDR Big Band and Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. Pedro Giraudo also leads his own Tango Orchestra which debuted at Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing.
His discography includes ‘An Argentinian in New York’ (Zoho Music 2018), ‘Vigor Tanguero’ (Zoho Music 2018), ‘Cuentos’ (Zoho Music 2015), ‘Córdoba’ (Zoho Music 2011), ‘El Viaje’ (2009) , ‘Desconsuelo’ (2005), ‘Mr Vivo’ (2002) and ‘Destiny of Flowers’ (2000). ‘Córdoba’ won 2011 Latin Jazz Corner’s: “Latin Jazz Large Ensemble Album Of The Year”, “Latin Jazz Boundary Breaking Album Of The Year”,” South American Jazz Album Of The Year”, and “Latin Jazz Composition Of The Year”; while ‘El Viaje’ won 2010 “Best Latin Jazz Album Of The Year,” and “Best Latin Jazz Large Ensemble Album Of The Year,” as well as “Best Latin Jazz Composition”.
In 2013 Pedro Giraudo was commissioned by Música de Cámara a piece for string orchestra which will be presented in May 2014. He recently finished pieces for members of the San Diego Symphony and for Japanese clarinetist Sawako Yoshida. In 2008, Giraudo was awarded a composer’s commission through the Jazz Gallery in New York, for a new work for his large ensemble; and in 2010, he was commissioned by the JazzReach initiative to compose a new work for their Big Drum/Small World main-stage program.
He has played bass on dozens of recordings for the world’s leading labels including Sony, Warner, Nonesuch, Naxos and Harmonia Mundi, as well as for independent projects, and on movies including Oliver Stone’s ‘Wall Street II’. He is also the principal bassist of the Hudson Symphony Orchestra and the Música de Cámara String Ensemble. Pedro Giraudo is endorsed by the gold standard in string makers, D’Addario, and the outstanding Keeley Electronics.
The River Concert Series program is subject to change