Cuban pianist Martha Marchena, professor of music at Kean University, will perform as part of The Cuban Cultural Center of New York’s celebratory concert in honor of legendary composer Aurelio de la Vega, on Friday, June 29, at The America’s Society on Park Ave. at 68th Street in New York City.
Himself a Cuban composer, de la Vega is considered one of the greatest exponents of contemporary art music. He is the 2012 recipient of the Ignacio Cervantes Medal, the CCCNY’s lifetime achievement award for excellence in classical music.
A Cuban immigrant, Marchena is a versatile artist who has performed as a soloist with orchestras and chamber music ensembles all over Europe and the Americas. Noted for the originality of her programming, critics have praised the intensity of her interpretations as well as the emotional impact she brings to the audience. David M Greene, historian and critic has hailed her playing as “exquisite and breathtaking,” remarking on her impressive capability to understand and bring to life the great emotional range of her interpretations.
Marchena’s recording debut Sonoric Rituals, Twentieth-Century Latin American Piano Music has received international acclaim, including a special honor in the Vienna Modern Masters Recording Competition in Austria and was recommended for a Grammy Award in 1997. Her recording entitled Canción sin Palabras (Song without Words) - Caribbean, Latin, and South American Piano Music and The Complete Piano Works of Aurelio de la Vega have both received recognition and acclaim from the most prestigious national and international music publications such as the American Record Guide, where Marchena's interpretations are noted to be “played with sympathetic warmth and intelligent musicianship.” She was invited to complete two recordings for Spain’s National Public Radio, resulting in Marchena’s latest recording, Casi una Pregunta, Casi una Respuesta: Latin American Piano Music in the 21st Century.
Admission to the celebratory concert is free for CCCNY members and $10 for non-members.
To register online, please visit http://as.americas-society.org/calevent.php?id=1414. For more information, please e-mail cccofny@aol.com.
For more information on Marchena, please visit her website at http://www.marthamarchena.com
