Hola amigos,

Os escribo casi una semana después del último concierto del ciclo "Junto al Piano", que fue todo un éxito sobre todo por lo bien que nos lo pasamos todos, también porque conseguimos una buena recaudación. Y ahora llega la hora de hacer balance y de dar las gracias a todos los que habéis hecho posible este proyecto: a mis padres, a mi profesora Susana Sánchez Maceda y a todos los profesores del Conservatorio Adolfo Salazar de Madrid que se han interesado, a los participantes en los conciertos, mis compañeros y amigos Lucía, Nacho, Sergio, Ana y también Héctor. Gracias a quienes nos habéis ayudado a difundirlos. Y gracias a La Favorita, a Javier Otero de Navascués, por habernos dejado el maravilloso lugar en el que se ha desarrollado este ciclo...

La recaudación final de los 3 conciertos ha sido de 735€, que ya han sido transferidos a Cáritas Madrid para sus Comedores. Agradezco a todo el público que ha asistido al ciclo el que se hayan interesado por nuestra propuesta, y que hayan contribuido así con esos Comedores Sociales, que desgraciadamente necesitan ahora más apoyo que nunca.

Un abrazo fuerte, emocionado, navideño y lleno de esperanza,
Manu

Hola amigos,

Os informo que el próximo sábado 15 de Diciembre será el tercer y último concierto del año 2012 que vamos a dar mis compañeros y yo a beneficio de los comedores sociales.Esta vez, nos iremos al Romanticismo con Chopin y Liszt y a la Navidad con improvisaciones y demás cosas divertidas...

Este concierto será diferente al segundo y similar al primero, ya que esta vez será sólo Piano: mis compañeros y buenos amigos del Conservatorio Lucía Gavilanes y Nacho Núñez tocarán sendas obras de Liszt y Chopin respectivamente de gran dificultad técnica pero muy bellas en el fondo... Al final del concierto, Nacho y yo tocaremos (en plan informal) unas improvisaciones y demás diversiones con trasfondo navideño, para hacer disfrutar a los más pequeños y también a los más mayores, que espero vengan en gran número para celebrar la Navidad JUNTO AL PIANO.

Nos vemos,
Manu

Hola amigos,

El segundo Concierto en el restaurante "La Favorita" de Madrid también fue una gran experiencia. Toqué la Partita nº 2 de Bach y mis amigos Ana Sobrino, Héctor Morcillo y Sergio Morcillo obras para Violín de Bach (la Sonata en Sol menor y el Concierto para Dos Violines en Re menor). Un total de 18 personas (12 adultos y 6 niños) acudieron al acto, recaudando 170 € para los Comedores Sociales de Caritas. Éste era el segundo de un ciclo de 3 conciertos: el último tendrá lugar el 15 de Noviembre. Os mantendremos informados.

Os dejo ahora con unos vídeos de las obras que fueron tacadas en el concierto.

Os deseo una muy buena semana,
MANU

Hi guys,

Two weeks ago, I had the great opportunity of attending, as a listener student, five Conducting Masterclasses in which the teacher was the well-reknown conductor Maestro Jorma Panula, from Finland. I also met with the students, who were very friendly and were enjoying very much the course as well as me...

This was the I International Conductors Masterclass at El Escorial, close to Madrid and one of the most wonderful cities of Spain due to his historic relevance and his famous monastery, who was, from the end of the XVI century until the begining of the XXth century, a royal residence. The classes were very interesting and exciting. They consisted of a 30 minutes conducting session for every student during the morning. Maestro Panula's corrections came in the afternoon after watching the video of the previous session. The orchestra was the Camerata "Antonio Soler", a string orchestra... I even had the opportunity to conduct a little bit during the course.

The participants had to work, obviously, on string orchestra works like Grieg's "Holberg Suite", Bartók's "Divertimento", or Tchaïkovsky's "Serenade". In the final concert, the different students had improved a lot. Also, Maestro Panula gave the diplomas to all the students, including me...

After this week, I moved to Forum MusiKae in Pozuelo to attend another course. I had the great chance to receive a number of four piano masterclasses with Michael Leuschner, a great teacher. I worked with him Beethoven's "Pathétique" Sonata in C minor, and Bach's Partita nºII also in C minor and his advices were very helpful indeed...

Before I take a little vacation in order to settle things for the next year, and to have the rest I think I deserve, I leave you with two videos. The first one is from my friend Till Schwabenbauer, whom I met during the conductors course (I found it at his webpage)...

The second one is a good version of the Partita I'm playing and preparing for September... I found it complete!!!

Have a pleasant time,
MANU

Hi guys,

I have been these last two weeks up at Ithaca College (NY) in a Summer Piano Institute, having a great time there, and a pair of days discovering New York City...

This Summer Piano Institute at Ithaca College has been one of my best and wonderful experiences and adventures, and I will never forget this summer. Ithaca College is a very nice and big place. The Institute was directed by Dr. Deborah Martin, and the faculty was exceptional. Dr. Phiroze Mehta told us about great pianists and I had the chance to share points of view with him. Dr. Charis Dimaras (by the way a great football fan), a great teacher who gave me interesting advices about my College preparation and gave me various Ensemble lessons. Dr. Jennifer Hayghe helped me improving the pieces I was working on, especially Mendelssohn's Rondó Capriccioso. Dr. Nathan Hess gave me various advices as to matters of playing and an interesting mini masterclass. With Dr. Diane Birr, my Collaborative playing improved and I understood better the concept of an accompanist. Dr. John White gave me really profound Theory classes and with Dr. Susan Avery, our Choir teacher, I enjoyed with my classmates a lot of funny and unforgettable moments. Also, the counselors that helped all of us (we were 35 students) were really splendid chaps and nice guys (thank you David, Michael, Sarah, Brittany and Sam for the good times and the fun we had together!!)...

Also, I made a lot of friends there: Sam, Matthew, Chris, James, Zach, Charles, Lowell, Jeff, Abby, Angela, Daphne, Anna, Belinda, Athena, Sitara, Marci and Annie... with whom I spent a lot of time between sports at free time, when we weren't practicing or having class and we were having a break in work...

As Dr. Martin said: "It has been one of the very best, not to say the best, of all the Piano Summer Institutes we have organized." Well, I hadn't been in none of the previous years, but the great times and passions that everyone of us shared makes me think that she was right. In fact, I'm already dreaming of going back next year!!!

After that wonderful experience, I went to New York City for two days and I must say that the city really amazed me, as to matters of the sky-crappers and all the enourmous buildings. Also, I had a wonderful time visiting the different museums, from the Guggenheim to the Met, and stopping by at Lincoln Center where the Opera House is staged and Carnegie Hall.

Also, the visits to Saint Pathrick's Cathedral, Battery Park, Wall Street and the World Trade Center really were better then I had imagined. Later on, I stepped by the Rockefeller Center, Greenwich Village and the great Waldorf Astoria. I didn't have the time though to go to a Broadway musical, but I walked through China Town, Little Italy and Central Park.

Alas, time flew away and I had to come back to Spain as soon as possible, as I am starting another course here in Madrid... But, nevertheless, New York was a great city and I really, really had a very pleasant time there... I leave you with a version of "Mercutio", a musical number of "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev, which my friend Jeff played at the final showcase recital... I liked it so much that he even passed me a score of the piece. Thanks, Jeff...

I hope I shall be writing soon. See you,
Manu