Piano Performance by Maestro Joaquín Achúcarro

Maestro Achúcarro will be performing the closing night of the JAF’s year-long celebration of his 80th birthday.

There is something very special in achucarro. There are very few pianists in the world who can get that sound from the piano

—Sir Simon Rattle

The Joaquín Achúcarro Foundation is delighted to have honored the 80th birthday of Maestro Achúcarro, a pianist of international fame and the Joel Estes Tate Chair at the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, with a year-long international Birthday Series of performances by the Maestro’s disciples.

This closing performance will be performed by the Maestro himself in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain.

Program

• Preludes – Mompou (n.1, n.9, n.7 - Palmier d’etoiles)
• Goyescas (Book 2) – Granados. El Amor y La Muerte; Serenata del Espectro.
• La Soirée dans Grenade (Estampes) –Debussy
• Hommage a Claude Debussy – Falla
• El Puerto (Iberia) – Albeniz
• Alborada del Gracioso – Ravel

About Joaquin Achúcarro

Born in Bilbao in 1932, he studied at the Conservatory there under the maestros Castillo and Zubeldía. He made his debut at the age of 13 with the Bilbao Philharmonic Society playing Mozart. He completed his studies in Madrid and won numerous international prizes, in particular an international piano competition organised by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society in 1959.

Since then, Achúcarro has been enjoying an uninterrupted international career touring 59 countries performing in venues such as Avery Fisher Hall, Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw, Kennedy Center, Musikverein, Royal Albert Hall, Salle Gaveau, Salle Pleyel, Teatro alla Scala, Suntory Hall, Sydney Opera House, Teatro Colón and The Barbican,  playing recitals and as soloist with over two hundred different orchestras including, Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, La Scala of Milan, London Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony, Sta Cecilia di Roma, BBC Symphony, Philharmonia, Royal Scottish, City of Birmingham, Hallé, National de France, Yomiuri, Tokyo Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, RIAS Berlin under more than 350 conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Sir Adrian Boult, Riccardo Chailly, Sir Colin Davis, Zubin Mehta, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Seiji Ozawa and Sir Simon Rattle.

UNESCO named him Artist for Peace in recognition of “his extraordinary artistic achievement.” In Spain, He has received the highest honors in the Arts: the Gold Medal of Fine Arts, The National Award for Music and, King Juan Carlos of Spain bestowed upon him the Great Cross of Civil Merit.

Tickets are $30, $15 for members and students with ID; museum admission for that day is included.