[361]MADRID-BORN ERICE PRESENTS FIRST SOLO PIANT RECITAL AT MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 26, 2008
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, (615) 898-2493

MADRID-BORN ERICE PRESENTS FIRST SOLO PIANT RECITAL AT MTSU
New Faculty Member’s April 3 Concert is Free & Open to the Public

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU faculty pianist Leopoldo Erice will perform a free and open concert at 8 p.m. April 3 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
Erice will perform Bach’s 1741 publication of the Goldberg Variations for piano, a work that is considered by many to be one of the most important examples of variation form and one that is traditionally named after Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who—according to some reports—was its first performer.
"The Goldberg Variations ... is among the most important music monuments," Erice said. "It is a piece which has inspired generations of musicians and music lovers because of its beauty."
Erice said that Bach, who had a deeply rooted, strong Christian faith, let religion permeate his music, even his nonreligious works.
"The Goldberg is catalogued among his nonreligious works, but I believe that they could be considered an homage to Christianity,” remarked Erice, who said he also “will offer a short talk before I perform them … and develop this idea, among other issues." A new member of the MTSU School of Music faculty, having joined its ranks in fall 2007, Erice’s upcoming concert will be his first solo recital at the university. Born in Madrid, Erice started his piano studies at age 6 and graduated with honors in both piano and chamber music from the Royal Conservatory of Madrid. In 1999, he studied in The Hague in Holland and obtained the Higher Vocational Diploma in piano from the Koninklijk Conservatorium. From 2002 to 2004, Erice held the position of associate instructor of piano at Indiana University, where he also earned a Master of Music in piano and an Artist Diploma in piano. Currently, he is a doctoral candidate at SUNY at Stony Brook. Additionally, Erice has won several prizes in various prestigious national competitions such as the Royale (1989), Gregorio Baudot (1994), Infanta Cristina (1994, 1996 and 1998) and Ciudad de Albacete (2006). "This wonderful work is not performed much in concert, so I truly hope many people attend the recital and I would like to invite the MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as community members," the pianist said. "I am sure they will enjoy the music as much—or even more—as I do." This concert is free and open to the public. For more information on this and other events in the MTSU School of Music, please visit http://www.mtsumusic.com/ or call 615-898-2493.

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