20th Century Guitar Music from Puerto Rico

Guitarsit José Maldonado presents a concert of 20th century guitar music by composers from Puerto Rico including Ernest Cordero's "Concierto Evocativo" in which he will be joined by pianist Weiwei Zhai.

Performers

José Maldonado, guitar

Weiwei Zhai, piano

Program

Four Songs | Rafael Hernández Marín (1892–1965)

Campanitas de Cristal

Perfume de Gardenia

Silencio

Preciosa

Tres Preludios | José Rodriguez Alvira (b. 1954)

Preludio No. 1

Preludio No. 2

Preludio No. 3

Canción y Danza | Juan Sorroche (b. 1947)

I. Canción

II. Danza

Concierto Evocativo | Ernesto Cordero (b. 1946)

I. Allegro Moderato

II. Lento

III. Allegro Spigliato"

Pianist Weiwei Zhai has performed throughout Asia, North America, and Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. Critics have praised her “enthusiasm and grace” and described her performance as “absolutely gorgeous throughout as to sonority and especially style” (New York Concert Review). Weiwei has played concerts at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, the Harvard Club of New York City, Steinway Hall, Trinity Church Wall Street, the National Opera Center, and the Beijing National Library Performing Arts Center. As the first-prize winner of the Concerto Competition at Manhattan School of Music (MSM), she performed the Scriabin Piano Concerto with conductor Philippe Entremont. In addition, she has played with celebrated conductor Christian Vásquez in Italy. Ms. Zhai won top prizes in the Kazakhstan International Piano Competition and the Five Towns Young Musicians Competition in New York.​

An avid chamber musician, Ms. Zhai has collaborated with members of the Grammy-nominated quintet, Imani Winds. Her piano trio has been invited to play for the International Advisory Board at MSM. She has appeared at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the PianoTexas International Festival and Academy, and the InterHarmony International Music Festival.

Weiwei began to take piano lessons at an early age. She won top prizes in major national competitions and graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she studied with Manchun Chen. She moved to New York to study at Manhattan School of Music, where she received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree, studying with Dr. Solomon Mikowsky and Dr. Inesa Sinkevych. Ms. Zhai is a member of the piano faculty at Bloomingdale School of Music.

Dr. José Gabriel Maldonado Suárez is a musician, arts administrator, and educator from Puerto Rico based in New York City. His classical guitar solo and chamber music repertoire spans works of guitar literature from the Renaissance to contemporary music with a strong emphasis on music from Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. His doctoral research focused on the Puerto Rican Danza, tracing the genre's origins, its sociopolitical impact, and its role in the struggle for Puerto Rican decolonization.

As an arts administrator, Dr. Maldonado Suárez curates classical music presentations and events that celebrate Latine and Caribbean music manifestations. His Caribbean-focused repertoire and demonstrated passion for teaching have earned him invitations to perform and present lectures and master classes at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, Marshall University, Middlebury College, Columbia University, and the Long Island Guitar Festival, among others. Additionally, he was selected to join the 2023 inaugural cohort of the Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE) Mentorship Program.

Dr. Maldonado Suárez is the Director of Guitar Studies at Bloomingdale School of Music and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music at John Jay College, the City University of New York (CUNY). Dr. Maldonado Suárez holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree from Stony Brook University and a Master of Arts in Arts Administration (MA) degree from Baruch College, CUNY.

Host or Publisher Bloomingdale School of Music