Biographical Sketches
1998-99
Rolfs Concert Series
Biographical Sketches
1998-99
SANTIAGO
RODRIGUEZ
November 14, 1998
Santiago Rodriguez was born in Cardenas, Cuba. After immigrating to the U. S., he made his concert debut at age ten performing the Mozart Concerto No. 27 with the New Orleans Philharmonic. He studied with William Race at the University of Texas and is a graduate of The Julliard School where he was a pupil of Adele Marcus. His international career was launched in 1981 when he won the silver medal at the Van Clibrun International Piano Competition.
One of the foremost interpreters of the music of Sergei Rachmoaninov, Santiago Rodriguez has performed all of the composer’s major works in concert. He is currently recording The Rachmaninov Edition which, when completed, will include the entire catalogue of Rachmaninov’s solo piano compositions. His recordings of repertoire from Bach to Ginastera, all on ELAN Recordings, have been acclaimed for their "blazing conviction, tremendous technical strength, unswerving concentration and galvanic excitement…" (American Record Guide). National Public Radio’s Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection recommends three of Mr. Rodriguez’ recordings as the best available performances. He has recorded the world premieres of Piano Concerto No. 1 by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, the Concertino for piano, strings and cymbals of Carlos Surinach, Leonard Bernstein’s Touches, and the Piano Sonata No. 2 of Alberto Ginastera, which was premiered by Mr. Rodriguez in New York in 1982. His recording of the Rachmaninov and Prokofiev Third Concertos has been internationally acclaimed as one of the best in recorded history; The Chicago Tribune wrote of "the enormous sweep and impeccable control. Let’s hear more Rodriguez, please…" Gramophone stated that the performances had "the right brilliance, urgency, passion, it’s Rodriguez who gets to the music’s guts…" and American Record Guide concluded that "this Rachmaninov Third goes immediately to the top of the list.
OXANA YABLONSKAYA
Oxana Yablonskaya was born in Moscow and graduated from the Moscow Conservatory with highest honors. Following graduation, she became a prize winner of three international competitions: The Grand Prize in the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition in Paris and First Prizes in the Rio de Janeiro Competition and the Vienna Beethoven Competition. She became a professor at the Moscow Conservatory and held the prestigious title of "Soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic". Since emigrating from Russia in 1977, she has enchanted audiences around the world with her powerhouse virtuosity, exquisite sensitivity and deep emotional drive.
Miss Yablonskaya’s Liszt/Schubert CD won the Grand Prix du Disque from the International Liszt Society in Budapest. Subsequently, Philips Records also released this recording in Japan. In the December 1995 review of her Tchaikovsky CD, the American Record Guide exclaimed, "Oxana Yablonskaya is an artist who deserves to be heard often and in any repertory she chooses."
While maintaining a busy professional schedule, Miss Yablonskaya is also a professor at The Julliard School in New York City.
THOMAS PANDOLFI
Subsequently, he went on to capture top prizes at the 1989 Stravinsky International Piano Competition, the 1993 Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition, the 1998 Ibla International Piano Competition and the 1999 New Orleans International Piano Competition. In addition, both the 1993 Deane Sherman Performing Arts Award and a 1998 Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award Grant were bestowed upon Mr. Pandolfi for his outstanding achievements in music. As of February 1998, he became a Steinway Artist, joining the list of illustrious artists on its international roster.
His debut recital in Washington, D.C. at the age of 16 was praised by
The Washington Post's Joseph McLellan as "...a recital which clearly showed why Pandolfi has been winning so many competitions-impressive technique, sound musical instincts, superb control ... when the music is exciting, so is Pandolfi .... Clearly he will bear watching."KEMAL GEKIC
Kemal Gekic was born in Split, Croatia and received all his early musical training in Croatia from his aunt, Lorenza Batturina. He then entered the Art Academy of Novi Sad in Serbia as a student of Professor Jokuthon Mihailovic, a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory. During his school years, Gekic won prizes at the Fraz Liszt Competition in Parma, the Viana da Motta in Lisbon, and the Yugoslav Artists’ Competition in Zagreb. Graduating in 1982 with the highest mark ever granted a diploma exam recital, he was immediately appointed to the piano faculty, which he now heads.
Gekic’s poetic interpretations and dramatically-charged performances made him an audience favorite at the 1985 Chopin Competition in Warsaw and the 1988 Montreal International Competition, but both times led to a major controversy when he was eliminated by the jury. Gekic’s monumental technique and passionate delivery brings to life some of the most poignant and breathtaking music ever written for the piano and he has emerged as a formidable presence in the concert arena.
Gekic has made 5 CDs for JVC (Victor) in Japan, including a 1994 landmark recording of the complete Liszt Transcendental Etudes, which has been praised by noted Liszt biographer Alan Walker as "without question the finest performance of the complete cycle I have heard." A CD of Rossini/Liszt transcriptions was recently recorded for release in 1997.
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