An upcoming music presentation

(Central Valley) - On Sunday, October 29th at 3 o’clock, Music in Central Valley presents pianist Juana Zayas in a program entitled Exploring Europe and South America. The program takes place at Central Valley United Methodist Church on Smith Clove Road and will include works by Clementi, transcriptions of Schubert and Chopin by Liszt, Balakirev, and Cuban composers Cervantes, Lecuona, Hern?ndez, and South American composer, Ginastera.

A favorite with the audience, Ms. Zayas’ performances have been highly praised throughout the United States and Europe as displaying a pianism “with style, sensitivity, a big technique and an aristocratic flair for the mixture of romanticism and classicism embedded in the music.” She has appeared with several orchestras here and abroad including the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and the Zeeuws Orchestra in the Netherlands, the Venezuela Symphony, the Orquesta Sinf?nica de Radio Television Espan?la in Madrid, and the Symphony of the Americas and San Diego Symphony, among others. She has appeared in festivals in London, Canada, Seattle, Newport, and Salt Lake City, and later this season will be heard at the Serate Musicale in Milan. Her recordings span the works of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Liszt, and Fennimore, and are regularly featured on WQXR Radio’s Reflections from the Keyboard. And her recording of the complete Etudes by Chopin was selected as the “compelling first choice” by International Piano Quarterly in their comparison of all available recordings reviewed five years ago.

Cuban born and trained at the Paris Conservatory, Ms. Zayas studied piano with Joseph Benvenuti and chamber music with Ren? Le Roy in Paris and later with Adele Marcus, David Bar-Illan, and Josef Raieff in the United States. She was awarded a medal with distinction at the International Competition in Geneva, Switzerland, and Third Prize at the Latin-American Teresa Carre?o Competition in Caracas, Venezuela. Her recordings have been released by Music & Arts Programs of America, Albany Records, and Zayas Masterworks, Inc.
Other programs on the 2006-2007 Season feature the Parker String Quartet with Daniel Chong and Karen Kim, violinists, Jessica Bodner, violist, and Kee-Hyim Kim, cellist on December 3rd. Awarded top honors by Concert Artists Guild International these four Boston area musicians will perform quartets by Mozart, Schumann, and Shostakovich.

The January 21st concert features Young Artists from Monroe-Woodbury High School. These mature and highly competent student musicians will offer a variety of instrumental and vocal solos and ensembles. The oboe will be featured on February 25th with performers Jo?l Evans, oboe, Valentina Charlap-Evans, viola, and Ruthanne Schempf, piano presenting works by Handel, Saint-Sa?ns, and Loeffler. The series concludes with a program of Piano Quartets on April 22nd with New York City musicians Emily Popham, violin, Amir Shiff, viola, Brian Snow, cello, Lily Friedman, piano, performing music by Mozart and Brahms among others.
This series of concerts are open to the public free of charge with a suggested donation at the door. Central Valley United Methodist Church is handicapped accessible. All programs are on Sundays at three o’clock. For further information you may phone the church office at 845-928-6570.Pictured Above: Juana Zayas