Sunday, March 28, 2010

El Festival

Classical Music from Latin America, Spain and the Caribbean


Friday, June 11th
7:30 PM
Sobre Cuerdas y Cantos
Emiliano Pardo-Tristán (guitar, Panama)
works by: F. Sor (Spain), R. Cordero (Panama), S. Revueltas (Mexico), H. Villa-Lobos (Brazil) and E. Pardo-Tristán (Panama)
Anna Noggle (voice, USA)
works by: S. Revueltas (Mexico) and H. Villa-Lobos (Brazil)
Marisol Rampolla (guitar, Puerto Rico/Spain)
works by: M. Ponce (Mexico) and L. Brouwer (Cuba)
Michael Poll (guitar, USA)
works by: F. Moreno-Torroba (Spain) and H. Villa-Lobos (Brazil)

Saturday, June 12th
7:30 PM
Sobre Tangos y Otras Historias
Luigi Mazzocchi (violin, Venezuela)
Tim Ribchester (piano, USA)
works by: M. de Falla (Spain), A. Piazzolla (Argentina), M. Contreras (Venezuela) and P. Sarasate (Spain)

Sunday, June 13th
3:00 PM
Sobre Valses, Ecos y Poesías
Nicolás Real (flute, Venezuela)
Jean-François Proulx (piano, Canada)
Andrew Desiderio (cello, USA)
works by: A. Piazzolla (Argentina), E. Pardo-Tristán (Panama), N. Real (Venezuela) and E. Granados (Spain)

Las Bios
Composer and guitarist from Panama, who attended the Royal Conservatory Superior of Music in Madrid, Spain and holds a Master degree in Classical Guitar and a Doctoral degree in Composition from Temple University. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. His music has been played by the Philadelphia Classical Symphony, Delaware Symphony, Grand Rapids Orchestra, Jackson Symphony, Panama National Orchestra, Temple University Orchestra and NYU Symphony Orchestra; and by ensembles and soloists from Europe, Latin America and the United States. As a guitarist, Pardo-Tristán has performed in Panama, Martinique, Austria, USA and Spain. He has released three CDs: Hecho en Salamanca, Contemporary Chamber Music from Panama that exclusively features his own chamber compositions, and Classical Guitar Journey with music by Latin American and Spanish composers. He is the founder, president and artistic director of the Panamanian Guitar Association, which organizes the International Guitar Encounter. Pardo-Tristán is working on the book: "Mejorana Music from Panama: Transcription and Analysis," and is expanding a classroom curriculum that introduces college students to Latin American art music through the exploration of its folkloric origins. He has recently presented papers on mejorana music and his compositions for the “Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology” (Paris), “Society for Ethnomusicology” (Mexico City), and the “British Forum for Ethnomusicology” (Oxford). In the fall 2010, Dr. Pardo-Tristán will be teaching classical guitar at NYU and the Bryn Mawr Conservatory, and Music Theory at Temple University. He is currently transcribing Latin American children song for a new guitar and voice CD, which will include the arrangements (premiered in this festival) of "Cinco Canciones de Niños" by Silvestre Revueltas.

Anna Noggle (Soprano) is known for her electric stage presence and “powerful rich voice” combined with the magic ability to bring characters to life, American soprano Anna Noggle is making a name for herself described as “sensitively drawn and heartachingly sung” while her singing is high pianissimi and an exquisite tone”. As Charlie Handelmann stated, “We have to watch for her name in the future!.” Ms. Noggle begins the 2009-2010 season as Gilda in Rigoletto with the Dicapo Opera Theatre. She finishes the year as Mimì in La Bohème with Opera Manhattan Repertory Theatre. In February of 2010 Ms. Noggle will cover the role of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Virginia Opera. The 2008-2009 season saw Ms. Noggle in a critically acclaimed turn as Liù in Turandot with the Dicapo Opera Theatre and the National Lyric Opera. She made her house debut as Fiordiligi with Opera Colorado in James Robinson’s production of Così fan tutte under maestro Carlo Montanaro and a company debut with Opera Manhattan Repertory Theatre as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. Other notable performances include a guest artist recital at the Alfredo de Saint Malo Music Festival of Panama in the Teatro Nacional de Panamá, soloist in the Puccini 150th Anniversary Gala at Rose Theatre, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center and a touring performance as the Wife in Richard Wargo’s The Music Shop with the Opera Colorado Artist Ensemble. In the concert arena Ms. Noggle has appeared as soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Gottschalk’s Escenas campestres cubanas with the Hot Springs Music Festival and in William Bergsma’s Wishes, Wonders, Portents, Charms with the National Chorale in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. Other performances include soprano soloist in John Rutter’s Magnificat with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra under Awadagin Pratt. In addition to her performing career, Ms. Noggle has been recorded as a featured soloist for Gottschalk: Complete Works for Orchestra, “Escenas campestres cubanas” on the Naxos label with Richard Rosenberg and the Hot Springs Music Festival Orchestra and additionally for Emiliano Pardo-Tristan: Classical Guitar Journey, “Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5” on the Fermata Publications label, with renowned Panamanian guitarist Emiliano Pardo-Tristan.

Marisol Rampolla
Marisol Rampolla was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she began her guitar studies with Moisés Rodríguez, Eduardo Flores, and Juan Sorroche at the University of Puerto Rico. In Philadelphia she studied guitar performance with Peter Segal at The University of the Arts and Temple University, where she obtained a full scholarship to complete her Master’s degree. Marisol also spent a year studying with José Tomás at the Conservatorio de Música Óscar Esplá, in Alicante. While in Spain she had the opportunity to study with David Russell.
In addition to performing, Marisol teaches at the Community College of Philadelphia and Settlement Music School, helping students to broaden their performance opportunities through collaborative teaching and learning.
Marisol has performed as a soloist in many venues, but finds ensemble performance her greatest joy and pride. She performed for over ten years with the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Trio, and now with ’Sol’, and new double bass and guitar duo. The trio has performed internationally, and throughout the east coast region of the United States. Abroad, the Trio was the feutured ensemble for the 1999 Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Puerto Rico, and for the 3rd Encuentro Internacional de Guitarra de Panamá 1999. Marisol has two recordings with The Philadelphia Guitra Trio: "3" and "Danzas, Rags, and Souvenir." She has also recorded in Pardo-Tristán's CD "Contemporary Chamber Music from Panama," and with Anna Crusis Women's Choir in their CD called "Fresh Cut." She recently published an article "Remembering Paulino Bernabé," in the latest volume of Soundboard, the journal of the Guitar Foundation of America, Volume XXXIII. Marisol is one of the founders of the IberoAmerican Music Festival of Philadelphia, which take place every two years, to honor Ibero-American composers.

With an increasing musical presence both in the United States and abroad, classical guitarist Michael Poll has performed in Lalinde, France, Poznan, Poland, and Antwerp, Belgium this past season. A native of Philadelphia, Poll has played solo recitals at the Montgomery Auditorium of the Free Library of Philadelphia, Rose and Amado Recital Halls at the University of Pennsylvania, and at Presser Auditorium for both the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society, and the IberoAmerican Music Festival of Philadelphia. In 2008 he recorded Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra Op. 99 in D Major live in Houston Hall. Involved with new music from a young age, in 2003 Michael premiered Cuatro Microsonoridades for guitar and piano by Panamanian composer Emiliano Pardo-Tristán with his brother Edward Poll at the keyboard. The piece, dedicated to the brothers, has become a regular fixture on Michael’s concert programs. Currently Michael is working with the American composer Jeremy Jennings on a new set of miniatures for solo guitar, and will begin collaboration with Andrew McPherson in 2010 on a new piece for guitar and harmonic resonator. Poll holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied the guitar with Benjamin Verdery, Frederic Hand, and Lukasz Kuropaczewski. He also pursued coursework at the Curtis Institute of Music in conducting with Virginia Allen and in solfège with Eric Sessler. While at Penn, Poll arranged the S.L. Weiss Concerto à Cinq in C for Lute for the guitar, and premiered this arrangement with the Penn Baroque Ensemble, under the direction of Gwyn Roberts, at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in master class with Maestro Nicholas McGegan. Since 2008 Michael Poll has served on the faculty of the Bryn Mawr Conservatory of Music, and in 2009 was named a lecturer of the Polish Guitar Academy, an international summer guitar festival. Poll has also been a fellow of the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, where he performed new chamber works for guitar by composers from around the United States.

Luigi Mazzocchi was born in Venezuela where he studied music in the System of Youth Orchestras (“El Sistema”) and in the V. E. Sojo Conservatory. He joined the Latin American Violin Academy in Caracas where he studied with José F. del Castillo. He was a founder of the Lara State Symphony Orchestra, concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra of Venezuela and a member of the “Simón Bolívar” Symphony Orchestra, with which he toured Europe and recorded a number of CDs with the Dorian Record label. Mr. Mazzocchi has performed as soloist with leading Venezuelan symphony orchestras. He also attended international music festivals in Latin America, the US, Spain, France and Australia. He is a prizewinner in solo competitions such as: the “Del Castillo” Latin American Competition, the 1997 South Orange Symphony, the 1999 FOSJA and the 2000 Temple University. Since 1996, he has been living in the United States where he studied violin with Liliana Ciulei and Helen Kwalwasser. He holds a BM from Rowan University and a MM from Temple University. Mr. Mazzocchi has coached with M. Pardee, Z. Bron, O. Charlier, T. Tanaka, W. de Pasquale, L. Biava, D. Arben, the Emerson, Guarneri, and Orion String Quartets. Currently, Mr. Mazzocchi is the first violinist of the Dalí String Quartet, Associate Concertmaster of the Delaware Symphony and a member of the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Ocean City Pops. He has also performed with The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Philly Pops, and the Serafin String Quartet. Mr. Mazzocchi is a violin teacher for the Music School of Delaware, the Elite Strings Program and a teaching artist for The Philadelphia Orchestra. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife Maria and their two children, Luigi and Andrea.

Tim Ribchester, a native of Denver, Colorado raised near Edinburgh, Scotland, has been active for many years in the Philadelphia area as conductor and pianist, acclaimed by colleagues and press alike for "awe-inspiring", "formidable" music making "as passionate as it is expert." Equally at home directing opera, early and contemporary choral music, and instrumental ensembles, he is also a specialist in the Nuevo Tango music of Astor Piazzolla, which he arranges, performs and directs in collaboration with some of Philadelphia's finest musicians and with the guidance of Piazzolla's own former collaborators. Piazzolla's music, and the rich Argentine tango tradition, are the subject of Tim's musicological and performance practice research, currently focused on a PhD dissertation at the University of Pennsylvania. As a conductor, Tim has directed performances for the American Composers Forum, Arden Theatre, Curtis Institute of Music, Delaware Valley Opera Company, Orchestra Society of Philadelphia, and Penn Composers Guild. He founded the Eakins Vocal Consort, a small and highly selective a cappella ensemble that specializes in the secular music of the Renaissance and new music, in 2006. As a recital pianist he has appeared with a diverse and distinguished group of collaborators including Philadelphia Orchestra principal clarinet Ricardo Morales, tenor William Burden, baritones Troy Cook and Andrew Cummings, soprano Elisa Matthews, violinists Amy Oshiro and Ellen DePasquale, flutist Mimi Stillman, accordionist Lidia Kaminska, Grammy-winning R&B vocalist Bunny Sigler, and the group Piano4, in repertory ranging from baroque music to Broadway.
Tim's musical education took place at Oxford University, where he took summa cum laude degrees in Music (MA) and Musicology (M.St.), and was elected conductor of the Oxford University Philharmonia and Artistic Director of the Merle Ensemble chamber music series.

Nicolás Real
Venezuelan flutist, conductor, composer, and teacher with a solid career in the classical and popular genres. Nicolás Real begun his career in the National Youth Orchestra System (El Sistema) of Venezuela. His registered experience leads him to become a member of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and other musical chamber groups such are Miquirebo Flute Quartet of Venezuela, National Flute Orchestra of Venezuela, and the Real-Peña Duo. In 1991, he obtains the Bachelor Degree in Flute Performance from the University Institute of Musical Studies – IUDEM in Venezuela. In 2003, he obtains the Masters Degree in Flute Performance from Central Michigan University. He currently resides in the United States and is nearly concluding the Doctoral Degree in Musical Arts at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. In 2002, Nicolás Real won the first place in both the "Concerto Aria Competition, 2002" at Central Michigan University, and in the “Performers Competition” at The National Flute Convention, Washington DC 2002. The same year 2002, he debuted at the Hirshhorn Hall of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. In the composition arena, his pieces for flute and chamber instruments have been performed by important and distinguished chamber ensembles both in Venezuela and in the USA such as the Massachusetts Flute Choir, the Crescent Duo (flute and clarinet), the Venezuela National Flute Orchestra, and the Miquirebo flute Quartet of Venezuela. In a different facet, he has been guest conductor of various symphony and chamber groups in Venezuela and USA, demonstrating his mastery of the classical and popular repertoire interpretation. In 2004, Mr. Real produced his first CD as a soloist titled “Nicolás Real-Music from Eastern Venezuela” in which he explores the musical wealth of the eastern region of his beloved Venezuela. Currently, Nicolás Real is visiting some US cities, which are included in the “Nicolás Real, Sounds from Venezuela and Latin America, First US Tour 2010”. Mr. Real is the Principal flute at the Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra, Founder-Conductor and Artistic Director of Entrevoces Choir in Miami, Associate Director of the Amundos Children Choir, and a successful freelance soloist, teacher, and composer in the US and abroad.

Jean-François Proulx
Jean-François Proulx was born in Ottawa, Canada, and grew up in its French-speaking suburb, Gatineau. At age 10, he took his first piano lessons with Jacqueline Lessard. He was accepted at the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec at age 12, where he studied piano with Marlene Finn, and solfège and theory with Noël Samyn. During the seven years he spent at the Conservatoire, Jean-François performed increasingly more often in concerts and local music competitions where he won several prizes. Jean-François then pursued his studies at University of Montreal under the guidance of Natalie Pepin. In 1997, he won first place at the Canadian Music Competition, recorded two solo recitals broadcast by Radio-Canada (CBC), and was awarded the title of Artist of the Year by the city of Gatineau. Some of his students also won various music competitions and one was admitted to the Conservatoire de Musique. In 1999, Jean-François moved to Philadelphia to study with Professor Harvey Wedeen at Temple University. He earned two Master’s of Music (Piano-Performance and Chamber Music) and a Doctorate of Musical Arts (Piano-Performance, minor in Composition). At Temple University, he had the opportunity to diversify his musical activities. Under Lambert Orkis’ supervision, he increased his abilities and experience as a collaborative pianist, performing over 200 concerts with Temple University’s choirs, opera and orchestra as well as with many individual instrumentalists and singers. He also became involved in composing and performing new music. Based in Philadelphia, Jean-Francois is presently active as a teacher, soloist, collaborative pianist and composer/arranger.
Andrew Desiderio
Andrew Desiderio is currently a master's candidate in music history at Temple University, where he has performed with the symphony orchestra and many chamber groups, and has studied under Jeffrey Solow. He is also active as a composer, and has studied with Justin Dello Joio and currently with Jeremy Gill. As of now, Andrew is at work on a piece for string sextet and on a film score. Andrew has also conducted the Roxborough Chamber Orchestra, and plans to attend the Bard College Conductors Institute for a two-week session in July.