Piano Recital: Elena Riu • Landscapes with Birds

PROGRAMME

‘Landscapes with Birds’

Albeniz: Evocacion & El Puerto ( from Iberia Suite Book I)

Diana Arismendi: Dialogue ( from Aves Mias/My Aviary)

Jean-Philippe Rameau: Le Rappel des Oiseaux

Francois Couperin: Le Rosignol-en-amour ( 14emme Ordre)

Takashi Yoshimatsu: Interlude with Birds

Granados: La Maja y el Ruisenor/The Maiden and the Nightingale ( from Goyescas)

Tania Leon: Tumbao ( from Elena Riu's Salsa Nueva)

Gabriela Ortiz: Su-Muy-Key, La Exotica del Mambo ( from Elena Riu's Salsa Nueva)

Elena Riu: La Salsita del Sr Ligeti (from Elena Riu's Salsa Nueva)

BIO

‘Riu’s vivacious articulation really shines. A beguiling performance of a unique programme’ The Independent

‘The delicate precision of her playing leaves a wonderful sense of anticipation before every next move’ The Observer'My disc of 2000 is without hesitation Elena Riu’s extraordinary CD of 20th century piano music’ The Gramophone.

'The dynamic Venezuelan pianist Elena Riu has hit a potential jackpot with this innovative collection of freshly commissioned piano pieces. Riu makes clear her intention to reach out to a youth market and there is every chance that she will succeed in reaching her target audience' International Piano

'All the works are spellbinding in Riu’s readings; it is because each note is so exposed that the integrity of these interpretations is so compelling. Riu’s mastery of all-but-inaudible range is not only wonderful but a rare gift in this era of competition winners' American Record Guide

'Salsa Nueva is new music with a difference...just the kind of fresh air that this Venezuelan-born pianist loves to bring to her musical activities and everyone else's' Classical Music

Elena’s infectious enthusiasm for ‘boundary- jumping’ (Time Out), and for bringing new music to a wider audience has brought her accolades all over the world. She has commissioned, edited, published, performed, and recorded over forty new works giving countless world premieres including Sir John Tavener’s “Ypakoe,” written especially for her. Likewise, she commissioned, edited, published, recorded, and premiered two volumes of new contemporary piano music. These were published and co-edited by Boosey & Hawkes: Salsa Nueva, a groundbreaking collection of 16 new piano works inspired by salsa was followed by Out of the Blues featuring many new compositions inspired by blues. Salsa Nueva won an Arts Council Award.

A leading exponent of the Hispano-American repertoire she has championed the music of Antonio Soler, Tania Leon, Daniel Erkoreka, Federico Mompou, Diana Arismendi, Gabriela Ortiz, and Javier Alvarez amongst many others. Her CD of Sonatas by Soler was released to great acclaim by the Spanish label Ensayo.

Elena has toured extensively and has performed in all major concert halls and festivals in the UK and abroad including the Montpellier Radio France Festival, Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, City of London Festival, Dartington International Summer School, BBC Concert Orchestra, Walt Disney Hall and festivals in Kenya, Venezuela, Argentina, Spain, Italy, the Check Republic, Scandinavia, France, and Ireland. An eclectic artist, she has pioneered collaborative work with dancers and choreographers Javier de Frutos & La Ribot, artist Helen Cowcher, video artist Thomas Gray and textile designer Kate Blee amongst many. She was the brain behind multicultural Spanish Plus Series at the SBC and re- launched their Children's and Families Series with visionary multimedia projects. The Adventures of Tom Thumb was awarded a coveted Fringe First at the 2006’s Edinburgh Festival and was featured in the SBC’s Christmas Season programming.

Elena is a Steinway Artist. Recent performances included the Purcell Room, Sounds Venezuela Festival at the SBC, Frome Festival, Jackdaws Music Education Trust, Barcelona Festival of Song, Anglia University, St Paul’s Sinfonia.

Riu is a regular jury member for the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition. This summer Elena returned to the Dartington International Summer School and Festival where she offered masterclasses and premiered her new collaboration with award winning eco-poet Dom Bury. Elena will be also led Yoga & Mindfulness sessions for all the participants.Elena is a piano professor at Trinity-Laban where was the Artistic Director of the cutting-edge contemporary series New Quays, Artistic Director of the Homage to Catalonia festival and Co-Artistic Director of the New Lights festival.

Her educational interest and expertise extend to areas of Musician’s Health research. As a fully qualified Yoga Teacher, Elena led a pilot study project on Yoga and Mindfulness for Pianists at Trinity Laban with Musical Impact, followed by a series of Yoga & Mindfulness classes specifically for performance related anxiety. These sessions have continued and have expanded as part of the HE requirements as well as departmental Classes for the Dancers.

Forthcoming engagements include a residency at Jackdaws Educational Trust, recital and masterclasses at Piano Plus International Series, master classes at The Edinburgh Music School and Bath Spa University.

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