Described as "an artist with a polished sound and tremendous constructive power" and hailed by the Hoja del Lunes de Madrid, as "the Spanish pianist of his generation," Jose Ramon Mendez is one of the most exciting Spanish pianists of today.
Recent performances include Chopin's first piano concerto with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra and Manuel de Falla's "Nights in the Gardens of Spain" with the Nittany Valley Symphony, as well as numerous solo and chamber music performances in the United States, Europe, and Asia. His playing has been featured on WQXR's "Performance Today" and on Classical KMFA. He has been a guest performer at many music festivals, including Caramoor Festival, Barge Music Series, Festival Internacional de Piano de las Islas Canarias, Music at Penns Woods, Amalfi Coast International Music Festival, "Tocando el Cielo," Musica en Compostela, the Stony Brook International Piano Festival, and the Santander International Music Festival to name a few. As a chamber musician, Mendez has collaborated with such distinguished artists as Karl Leister, Itzhak Perlman, Michael Tree, Pascual Martinez-Nieto, and Pinchas Zukerman.
Mendez received his first music instruction from his father and by the age of seven was already performing on Spanish television and radio stations. He made his solo debut at the age of eleven at the Oviedo Philharmonic Society in Oviedo, Spain, the youngest performer ever to do so in the history of the society. He first gained international recognition when he performed Liszt's first piano concerto under the direction of Sergiu Commissiona at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Since then, he has concertized extensively in his native Spain, the United States, Italy, England, Portugal, Holland, and Japan to great acclaim. With his poetry, intellect, and masterful technique, he has been praised by critics and celebrated by audiences around the world.
At the age of 18, Mendez's success brought him to the United States, where he began his studies at Manhattan School of Music in New York City. He completed his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in piano performance with renowned pedagogue Solomon Mikowsky and went on to finish his Doctorate of Musical Arts under the tutelage of Byron Janis and Miyoko Lotto. During his stay in New York, he won top prizes in many international competitions, including Pilar Bayona International Piano Competition, Hilton Head Island International Piano Competition, Frederick Chopin Competition in New York, and Hermanos Guerrero International Piano Competition, among others.
Mendez's professional teaching career began in 1996, when he was invited to teach master classes at the Gijon School of Music. Since then, he has given master classes in numerous cities in Spain, including Lugo, Aviles, Valencia, Gijon, Oviedo, Santiago de Compostela, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, as well as in the United States at top music schools such as Oberlin Conservatory, Northwestern University, University of Michigan, and Columbus State University. Mendez also taught as assistant teacher to Miyoko Lotto at the Perlman Music Program, a program for gifted young musicians founded by the world famous violinist Itzhak Perlman. Currently in the summers, he is the Artistic Director and on the faculty of the Gijon International Piano Festival in Gijon, Spain, as well as frequently being invited to perform and teach at various festivals, such as Atlantic Music Festival, Palmetto International Piano Festival, Porto Pianofest Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, and Adamant Music Festival, among others.
Formerly on the piano faculty at University of Texas at Austin, New York University, and Pennsylvania State University, Mendez was most recently Associate Professor of Piano at Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music.
Wednesday, August 02, 2023 Guest Artist Recital at Porto Pianofest Reitoria da Universidade do Porto 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
Sunday, July 23, 2023 Faculty performance at Adamant Music School Adamant, VT 05640
Saturday, July 08, 2023 Guest Artist Recital at Palmetto International Piano Festival Memorial Hall at Erskine College Due West, SC 29639
Thursday, May 11, 2023 Recital at David L. Abell Piano Master Series Lani Hall at the Herp Albert School of Music at UCLA Los Angeles, CA 90095
Friday, October 28, 2022 Guest Artist Recital East Tennessee State University Martin Center's Powell Recital Hall Johnson City, TN 37614
Monday, October 10, 2022 Guest Artist Recital at Lynn University Amarnick-Goldstein Concert Hall Boca Raton, FL 33431
Friday, May 20, 2022 Piano Recital at the Boal Mansion Concert Series Boal Mansion Boalsburg, PA
Sunday, January 09, 2022 Homage concert to Jesus Gonzalez Alonso Centro de Cultura Antiguo Instituto 33201 Gijón, Asturias, Spain
March 28, 2017 6@6 Yamaha Artist Services Piano Salon New York, New York
October 27, 2016 Solo Recital at Marian Garcia Piano Festival and Competition Esber Recital Hall at Penn State University University Park, PA 16802
August 3, 2016 Porto Piano Festival TBD Porto, Portugal
July 14, 2016 Solo Recital at the Shanghai Piano Festival TBA Shanghai, China
July 3, 2016 Nights in the Gardens of Spain Forest Studio at the Pierre Monteux School and Summer Festival Hanock, Maine
June 18, 2016 Music at Penns Woods: Festival Orchestra with Jose Ramon Mendez, Esber Recital Hall University Park, PA
June 15, 2016 Mozart/Schuloff/Caplet Esber Recital Hall State College, PA
April 25, 2015 Spanish impressions Eisenhower Auditorium, Center for the Performing Arts at Penn St University Park, PA 16802
November 23, 2014 Guest Recital Oberlin Conservatory, Warner Concert Hall Oberlin, OH 44074
November 22, 2014 Guest Master Class Oberlin Conservatory, Warner Concert Hall Oberlin, OH 44704
November 16, 2014 Spanish American Music Council presents Jose Ramon Mendez, piani Tenri Cultural Institute New York, New York
December 10, 2013 Solo Piano Recital, NYU Faculty Recital Series Frederick Loewe Theatre New York, New York 10012
October 23, 2013 Faculty Showcase Recital Frederick Loewe Theatre, New York University New York, New York
November 1, 2012 NYU Artist Faculty in Concert Frederick Loewe Theatre New York, New York
December 4, 2010 Solo Recital Merkin Recital Hall New York, NY
October 15, 2010 Faculty Showcase Recital Frederick Loewe Theater at New York University (Steinhardt) New York, NY
July 5, 2010 Solo Recital - Stony Brook International Piano Festival Carson Auditorium - The Stony Brook School Stony Brook, NY
January 10, 2010 Solo Recital Episcopal Church of Christ the Redeemer Pelham, NY
October 11, 2009 Solo Performance with Galician Chamber Orchestra Merkin Recital Hall New York, NY
Reviews
La promesa cumplida de un virtuoso: José Ramón Méndez retorna al Filarmónica de Oviedo - La NuevEl pianista derrocha talento en el teatro, donde actuó con 11 añosclick here for more info
Festivals
Gijón International Piano Festival | Official WebsiteSet on the spectacular coast of northern Spain, the Gijon International Piano Festival offers advanced pianists ages 16 and older an opportunity for two weeks of master classes, recitals, and individual instruction with internationally renowned piano professors...http://gijonpiano.com/
Lisa-Marie MazzuccoLong Island based classical music photographer Lisa-Marie Mazzucco. Lisa Marie Mazzucco, photographer and make up artist, Montauk, New York, NY.http://www.lisamazzucco.com/
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