On October 3rd the Edge Center in Bigfork will enjoy the captivating presence of two very talented Piatigorsky Foundation artists: Mexican tenor Rodrigo Garciarryo and piano accompanist Mario Alberto Hernandez. Mr. Garciarryo’s combination of powerful voice, acting skills and stage presence keeps him in demand in the United States and Latin America. Mr. Hernandez has strong musical credentials as a pianist, conductor and teacher. There will be two performances on Friday: one for elders of Bigfork Valley’s assisted living and long term care departments; and a second, open to the public, at 7PM at The Edge Center for the Arts in Bigfork. Prices for the public performance are $10 for adults – children will be admitted free of charge.
Since Rodrigo Garciarroyo’s debut in 2008 with the Mexican Compañía de Ópera de Bellas Artes in the role of Spoleta in Puccini’s Tosca, conducted by Enrique Patrón de Rueda, he has been performing at the country’s most important theatres. This is in addition to performing leading roles in opera houses and concerts around the United States and Latin America. He is an audience favorite and has a history of positive reviews. Described as “…charming. An experienced, secure and refined professional, combining a rich timbre and a smooth legato with secure and heroic high notes; simply first class singing” (J. Bills, Revista ProÓpera). Mr. Garciarroyo also has many awards to his credit, and a repertoire that includes opera, romanzas, along with chamber and symphonic music.
Pianist Mario Alberto Hernández was born in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico. He has performed at festivals such as the Cervantino, the Sinaloa Festival and the Ciudad de México, and with the concert opera of the orchestras Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México, the OFUNAM and the Sinfónica de Minería. He studied conducting at South Mississippi University and made his debut as a conductor in 1993 with an orchestra formed by musicians of the Sinfónica del Estado de México and the Sinfónica de la Universidad de Guanajuato orchestras.
Mr. Hernández has collaborated with the OFUNAM, the Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México, with the Coordinación Nacional de Música del INBA and several embassies. Mr. Hernández also has been a professor of vocal repertoire and vocal ensembles at the Escuela Superior de Música of Bellas Artes in Mexico City. Because of his teaching background, he has become an enthusiastic promoter of young Mexican musicians.
For an enjoyable and personal look at Rodrigo Garciarroyo, in his own words, there is an article in the publication Diario de Morelos where Rodrigo answers a number of questions about his background. He explains that he started out studying architecture. His future wife gave him a 25th birthday party after a particularly difficult time at work. That event was that start of his musical career. He already played the guitar and sang informally, but now he took singing lessons and after four months quit his job and started studying 12 hours a day at la Nacional de Música. Rodrigo says, “I received a scholarship from the Placido Domingo to study at the International Society of Mexican Art Exchange from 2003 to 2006. Then I was awarded a scholarship by the International Vocal Arts Institute to study in Puerto Rico and Israel”.
Rodrigo, explains that he gave a series of concerts at the Jaffa Music Center in Tel Aviv and the Israeli Opera. Then, with a grant from the Martina Arroyo Foundation and Olga Forrai foundation, he went to New York. In 2009 he made his debut at Lincoln Center in New York in the opera of "Requiem" by Verdi, then participated in "Carmen" by Bizet at the Argentine Consulate General, and then "La Bohème" by Puccini.
As far as what it meant to his career, Rodrigo says, "It was an unforgettable experience, it is something that can not be described, it is something that you are working very hard for, and to be in those cities, meeting other cultures and people, it opens the mind. "
When asked about the joys he had in his work, he says “…the real joy for a singer personally is when people say that they feel what you sing. Someone once told me I'm going to tell my grandchildren that I heard you sing. " As far as his favorite operas, “I have several, "La Bohème" by Puccini, for singing and listening; "La Traviata”…Verdi's "A Masked Ball", is great; "Carmen" is beautiful…”
For those blog visitors who would like to read the original interview in Spanish, here is a link to the article.:
The Program
The Edge Center program listed below will be varied so that the audience may enjoy and recognize a variety of the music. There will be opera, piano solos and some selections from a more popular side of musical world:
Core N’Grato, S. Cardillo
La Danza, G. Rossini
Vesti la Giubba I Pagliacci, R. Leoncavallo
Intermezzo (piano solo), Manon Lescaut, G. Puccini
Be my love, N. Brodszky
Love is a many splendored thing, S. Fain
Maria West Side Story, L. Bernstein
3 Interludes (piano solo) G. Gershwin
Allegro ben rimato e deciso
Andante con moto e poco rubato
Agitato
Te Quiero, Dijiste M. Grever
Mujer, A. Lara
Júrame, M. Grever
Intermezzo (piano solo) M. M. Ponce
Jota Te Quiero, El Trust de los Tenorios J. Serrano
No Puede Ser, La Tabernera del Puerto P. Sorozábal
The non-profit Piatigorsky Foundation's mission is to make live classical music part of the fabric of everyday life for communities throughout the United States, with concert tours bringing top-quality musicians to audiences who often would not have the opportunity to hear them. The Foundation was established in 1990 by cellist Evan Drachman, grandson of the great Russian cellist Gregor Piatigorsky (1903-1976), The Foundation carries on his legacy in the belief that, as Piatigorsky said, "Music makes life better. Music is neither a luxury nor a frill. It is a necessity! It is rich. It is imaginative. And it is for everyone."
This promises to be a very special event for the Edge Center, and, as said earlier, it will have a variety of music for the whole audience to enjoy. If you are a regular visitor to the Edge for Piatigorsky events, please mark this one on your calendar. If you are not a regular, consider this one for your first try. You certainly will hear a program that will fully utilize the acoustics of the theater, and qualities of the Yamaha grand piano. It should be very interesting. Time 7PM. Place The Edge Center for the Arts in Bigfork. Prices $10 for adults, children will be admitted at no charge.
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