History has always had a tendency to narrow its gaze, and classical music is no exception. Bach, now considered one of the greatest composers, was passed over repeatedly in his lifetime for positions given to composers whose names we barely remember today. Amy Beach set aside her career at her husband’s request, her voice constrained not by lack of talent but by the expectations of her time. Erwin Schulhoff’s music fell silent for decades after his death in a Nazi concentration camp in 1942.
Through the artistry of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Wind Ensemble — and the world premiere of a new work by living composer Freya Waley-Cohen — classical music is kept alive, surprising, and full of discovery. It is this adventurous spirit that makes Portland Ovations a vital force in our cultural landscape: not simply a presenter of great music, but a champion of the artists and ideas that expand the stage, widen the doors, and deepen the experience of what we share. Join us for a lively pre-performance talk with George Lopez, highlighting how the Academy of St Martin in the Fields Wind Ensemble brings these remarkable voices back to the spotlight.
TUESDAY, APRIL 21
5:30 – 6:30 PM at Merrill Auditorium Rehearsal Hall
20 Myrtle Street, Portland
Free, no rsvp needed
ACCESSIBILITY
ASL available upon request.
ABOUT GEORGE LOPEZ
The Robert Beckwith Artist-in-Residence at Bowdoin College, George Lopez, pianist and conductor, has been a dynamic performer, sought-after pedagogue, and engaging lecturer for over 30 years. Known for his “…kaleidoscopic colors and clarity of conception…” (Los Angeles Times) in the standard repertoire as well as being a champion of newly written works, Mr. Lopez gave a highly acclaimed solo recital debut at the renowned Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and was lauded as “… authentic and memorable …” by the Nederlands Dagblad for his interpretation of Bach’s Goldberg Variations along with all Twenty-Four Preludes of Chopin. He performed the complete sonatas of Mozart, all five Piano Concertos of Beethoven, the complete Etude-Tableaux of Rachmaninoff, all 27 Etudes and the Four Ballades of Chopin, and recently did the entire 4-volume set of Bach’s Klavierubungen, which he performed on organ, harpsichord, and piano.
Mr. Lopez performs worldwide as a soloist in major cities throughout Europe, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Central and South America. His extensive performances cover most major U.S. cities, including New York’s Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie, Paul Hall at the Juilliard School, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Ambassador Hall in Los Angeles, the Shao Lin Arts Center in Rockport, Massachusetts, The Cleveland Art Museum, Harvard University, and Tanglewood. After his performance at Lincoln Center, the composer Lowell Liebermann described the performance of his work as “… exciting and decisive!”
As part of the dynamic DUO MUNDI GEORGE & GULI with his partner in life and music, Gulimina Mahamuti, Mr. Lopez performs two piano and four hand one piano works throughout the globe, focusing on immigrant and underrepresented composers from Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East.
Mr. Lopez is an acclaimed public speaker at regional, national, and international conferences throughout the United States and Europe, including the MTNA, NCKP, and EPTA conferences in recent years. He frequently gives masterclasses throughout North America, Latin America, and Europe at prestigious institutions, such as the Manhattan School in New York, Berkeley University, Boston University, the Faber Institute, the International Keyboard Odyssiad Festival, The Music Institute of Chicago, and Steinway Hall. Mr. Lopez received First Prize for the Diplome Superieure at the renowned Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris and the distinguished Uitvorend Musicus degree from the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam. As the artistic director and conductor of the Bowdoin College Symphony Orchestra, he leads one of the most dynamic all-student symphonic programs in the New England region.
