Jorge Mejia's Preludes Played by Simone Dinnerstein in Miami
"A full-scale and colorful mosaic. Mejia’s world is imagery, cinema, storytelling, and he doesn’t hold back..." Dinnerstein and the Havana Lyceum Orchestra feature Mejia's preludes in their first U.S. tour.
June 23, 2017
““A full-scale and colorful mosaic. Mejia’s world is imagery, cinema, storytelling, and he doesn’t hold back...””
Hosted by the New World Symphony, excerpts from Jorge Mejia's set of preludes were recently played by pianist Simone Dinnerstein, accompanied by the Havana Lyceum Orchestra in their first U.S. tour. Dinnerstein describes the preludes as “almost a genre of their own. Composed to be performed next to spoken text, they create a wonderful cinematic effect, full of vibrant colors and lush melodies.”
Read reviews and previews:
"To complete the panorama were Four Preludes for Piano by the Colombian Jorge Mejia – a full-scale and colorful mosaic. Mejia’s world is imagery, cinema, storytelling, and he doesn’t hold back. The composer narrated in Spanish before each prelude, in a trip through childhood and adolescence that portrayed his life experience, with Dinnerstein personifying it at the piano."
El Nuevo Herald
"The brilliant American pianist Simone Dinnerstein was the featured soloist in a program that included two Mozart piano concertos, four delightful sketches by Jorge Mejia, and Aaron Copland... Not since the Vietnam War have I seen our country so divided and discontent and with so little prospect for peace and unity behind our shared American values. But this concert showed me that we can, with good will, kindness and principled compromise, find ways to bridge our divisions and come together. Yes, we are turning, turning, but we will 'come ‘round right.'"
Miami Herald
"Opening the program is a special performance of preludes by composer Jorge Mejia. Each prelude is a piece of the story of Mejia’s life of coming from Colombia to the U.S. The story of his family and his sensitivity will be narrated in Spanish as the orchestra and piano play. 'To have a pianist of Simone Dinnerstein’s caliber and to have an orchestra like this performing the pieces is absolutely exhilarating,' said Mejia."
WLRN
