This Thursday, September 1, begins the cultural festival with the longest history and national and international recognition in the city:  39 Festival Internacional de Piano UIS. There will be 11 days full of 10 programs full of culture, film music, among others, for the enjoyment of all attendees.

The Festival, which seeks to expand the practice and enjoyment of the piano among the citizens of Bucaramanga and other municipalities of Santander, will feature the participation of artists from Spain, France, Cuba, Korea, the United States, and Colombia, who will present a repertoire loaded with classical and modern pieces, performances and live performances.

Gala concerts

The first gala night opens with the presentation of the pianist Francisco Escoda Patrón (Spain), who had the opportunity to further his studies in Madrid, with Manuel Carra; at the “Sweelinck Conservatorium van Amsterdam”, with Jan Marisse Huizing, and at the Schola Cantorum in Paris, with Eugen Indjic (disciple of the famous Arthur Rubinstein).

His collaboration with the Cervantes Institute, the Tahar Haddad Cultural Center, and the Acropolium in Tunis to make Spanish music known, as well as his award-winning appearance at the “Chopin Marathon” in Groningen, to great critical and public acclaim, should be highlighted. He has made recordings for Radio Nacional de España and “Ediciones Albert Moraleda”. He currently combines his concert career with his teaching career at the Schola Cantorum in Paris (since 2016), the International University of Valencia (where he also directs the master’s degree in musical interpretation and research), and the MpMusic Foundation.

The second gala concert is given by Angela Jeong Hyun Kim, who has been hailed by the press as one of the rising young pianists after showing her versatility through colorful imagination and intense musical expression. His passion for music began at a very young age, at the age of four he was already playing the piano and at nine he had already made his first public debut, in his native South Korea.

He has received various awards such as the Henry Cobos Gifted Piano, for demonstrating excellence in piano performance. He is a frequent soloist with the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra, with performances broadcast nationally on Interlochen Public Radio. His important artistic influences include world-renowned pianists and pedagogues such as Russell Sherman and Lev Natochenny. Angela Kim completed a bachelor’s, master’s, and postgraduate diploma at the New England Conservatory of Music, as a student of Wha Kyung Byun.

The third night is performed by Michael Min, a Korean-American pianist who has been heard as a soloist, chamber musician, and concert soloist, concert tenor in the US, and in South Korea. As a concert soloist, he has performed with such orchestras as the Seoul National Symphony Orchestra, the Middle Tennessee State University Wind Ensemble, and the University of Minnesota Symphony Orchestra, and has collaborated with conductors such as Ik-Sung Joo and Mark Russell. Smith, among others.

As a passionate performer and student of music, Min participated in many master classes and performed for internationally renowned pianists Prindoff Duo, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, and James Anagnoson.

The fourth night is adorned with the presence of Karla Martínez, a Cuban artist who graduated with a ‘Gold Diploma’ from the Higher Institute of Art of Cuba. Winner of the contests María Clara Cullell, from Costa Rica; Musical Youth Piano Competition, from Vilafranca del Penedés, and Spring Piano Cycle, from Barcelona. She is currently a professor at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid and combines her teaching and concert activities with the promotion and dissemination of Cuban composers, performing and recording their works.

The quota of international artists ends with the French group Eym Trio, who has the perfect balance between unusual rhythms and melodious harmonies in their music. A playful and sensitive character characterizes the subtle and exciting sound of his compositions. The group was formed in France, in 2010, thanks to the union of pianist Elie Dufour, double bassist Yann Phayphet and drummer Marc Michel. In a short time, he created a strong repertoire including personal compositions, covers, and creations inspired by ethnic influences of Jazz with colors from North Africa, Bulgaria, Romania, and India.

All the presentations of the artists or groups are part of the gala concerts that will take place within the framework of the programming of the 39 Festival Internacional de Piano UIS “Nos Toca a Todos”. Presentations will start at 7:00 p.m. m. in the Auditorio Luis A. Calvo de la Universidad Industrial de Santander.

Tickets are free but must be managed through the following link: https://linktr.ee/TiqueteraUIS

Below you will be able to know the programming grid in more detail.