This Thursday, at 7:00 p.m., the Luis A. Calvo Auditorium will dress up to kick off the 42nd Edition of the International Piano Festival with the expected presentation of the renowned Spanish pianist Enrique Lapaz Lombardo.
Lapaz Lombardo, an outstanding figure in the international music scene, has been awarded in prestigious competitions such as the Sergey Prokofiev International Piano Competition of St. Petersburg, the Iturbi Prize of Valencia, the Ricardo Viñes and the City of San Sebastian, among others. His solid academic training includes studies at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid, under the tutelage of maestro Dmitri Bashkirov, and at the Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory in St. Petersburg. He also enriched his musical knowledge at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya in Barcelona.
His career has resounded in important cycles and festivals around the world, such as the Sinfònics al Palau cycle in Barcelona, the Venice Biennale, the Gavrilin International Festival in Russia, the Sofia Cathedral International Festival in Belarus and the Evgeny Mravinsky International Music Festival in Estonia.
In an interview prior to his presentation, Maestro Lapaz shared his enthusiasm to return to Bucaramanga, a city that already welcomed him in the 40th edition in 2023:
“It is a great illusion and the memories are fantastic of the last time I participated almost two years ago; Bucaramanga welcomes me with open arms, its people, and the work done with the Festival at the cultural level, at the level of dissemination, among young people, among the elderly, is fantastic and exemplary”.
When asked about the relevance of an event of this magnitude for the dissemination of classical music and the formation of new audiences in Colombia, Lapaz Lombardo emphasized: “I think it is very important, and the fact that this is the 42nd edition is essential for the cultural life of Colombia, the theme of this year I think it is also very relevant and very necessary, and if it is not done here in Colombia I think it is not done anywhere else, so it is very important.
For the pianist, the continuity of these events is fundamental: “Because classical music is really essential for the functioning of a society, it is something that unites us, it is something that nourishes us, it is something that elevates our soul, and classical music is difficult, but it must remain so, it is not a business and I believe that we must bet on it, for social enrichment and the enrichment of people at an artistic level”.
Under the suggestive title “The sublime and the profane: Dances from heaven to the abyss”, Enrique Lapaz will perform a repertoire that includes works by masters such as Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt, with emblematic pieces such as “Impromptu N°3”, “Vivace. Florestan and Eusebius “and” Waltz Mephisto N°1”.
Admission to this inaugural concert is free, but it is essential to register in advance through the following link: https://acortar.link/GwTmST
Do not miss the opportunity to be part of this musical gala that promises an unforgettable night!
