Programme

J.M. Ruera (1900 – 1988)                     Meditació

M. De Falla (1876 – 1946)                    Pantomime: Song of Wounded Love

                                                                (from El Amor Brujo)

N. Gade (1817 – 1890)                          Fantasy Pieces op. 43

L. Bernstein (1918 – 1990)                   Suite from ‘West Side Story’

                                                               Maria; Tonight; Somewhere; Something’s coming; One hand, one heart

J. Brahms (1833 – 1897)                       Sonata in Eb Major op. 120 no. 2                                                               

Luis Fernández-Castelló’s playing is distinguished by ‘a sound full of warmth and exquisite sweetness’ (OPERA WORLD). He has developed an impressive career as both a soloist and a chamber musician, performing at major national and international festivals in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Sweden, Luxembourg, Morocco, and Portugal, and has appeared in Spain’s leading concert halls. Renowned for his interpretations of the classical and romantic repertoire, Fernández-Castelló also has a strong interest in contemporary music. He has premiered over a hundred works by Jesús Torres, Miguel Gálvez-Taroncher, Leonardo Balada, Sergio Blardony, Antonio Gómez-Schneekloth, among others. His latest recordings, The Singing Clarinet (Orpheus Classical) and Leonardo Balada’s Chamber Music (Naxos) have been highly praised by critics

Francesc Llop-Álvaro began his studies at the Professional Conservatory, Valencia, with Carlos Apellániz as his main teacher, and completed them at the Higher Conservatory of Music, Castellón. He has participated in numerous international piano programmes in Spain, Belgium, France, and Italy, attending master classes with Philippe Entremont, Robert Roux, Jean-Michel Damase, Jacques Lagarde, Josep Colom, Graham Jackson, among others. He has performed as a solo pianist and chamber musician in Spain, France, Belgium, and Germany, taking part in concert series such as Jaca Monumental through Music, the Valencia Biennial, the International Concert Season of the Societat Filharmònica Música i Art de Picanya, and a series of concerts organised by the University of Valencia.