For Immediate Release Contact: Becki Gervin, 408.961.5814 October 19, 2010

For Immediate Release Contact: Becki Gervin, 408.961.5814 October 19, 2010

An Evening with Lang Lang highlights

Montalvo’s Piano Masters Series

Five-concert series spans classical and jazz genres

SARATOGA, Calif. – Montalvo Arts Center presents its first Piano Master Series starting November 14 with a performance by Cuban piano sensation Alfredo Rodriguez. The series brings musical giants, like Lang Lang, and new, up-and-coming artists such as Taylor Eigsti and Simone Dinnerstein, to the Montalvo audience. Performances will be held in the intimate Carriage House Theatre, with the exception of An Evening with Lang Lang, which will be held in the historic California Theatre in Downtown San Jose. Tickets are on sale now through Montalvo’s Box Office and Ticketmaster.com.

Quincy Jones Presents: Alfredo Rodriguez
Sunday, November 14, 7:30 p.m.

Classically trained, the young Cuban piano sensation is a jazz-fusion artist with influences ranging from Bach, Beethoven, and Stravinsky to Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, and Quincy Jones. Discovered by Jones in 2006 at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Rodriguez has performed all over the United States, including at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas; the Monterey Jazz Festival; the famous Newport Jazz Festival; and the San Francisco Jazz Festival, plus more. In the words of Jones, “He is very special and I do not say that easily because I have been surrounded by the best musicians in the world my entire life and he is one of the best.”

Simone Dinnerstein: Performing Bach's Goldberg Variations
Sunday, November 21, 7:30 p.m.

American pianist Simone Dinnerstein’s recording of the Goldberg Variations was No. 1 on Billboard’s Classical Chart in its first week of sales upon its release in 2007, and The Washington Post placed it on its Top 10 Classical Albums of the Decade. The Sony recording artist has gained international attention since making a triumphant New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in 2005. Her highly anticipated all-Bach album is due for release worldwide in January 2011. Dinnerstein, who brings her deeply personal interpretation of Bach’s masterpiece to Montalvo for the first time, was praised by The New York Times as being, “An utterly distinctive voice in the forest of Bach interpretation, Ms. Dinnerstein brings her own pianistic expressivity to the 'Goldberg Variations,’ probing each variation as if it were something completely new.”

Taylor Eigsti Trio
Sunday, December 5, 7 p.m.

At 23, pianist/composer/band leader Taylor Eigsti is a two-time Grammy nominee in the midst of establishing himself as a jazz star through his imaginative improvisation and electrifying rhythmic sensibility. His trio, which includes Harish Raghavan and Eric Harland, recently released a new album Daylight at Midnight, an innovative collection that includes original Eigsti compositions, as well as remarkable interpretations of pieces by composers such as Nick Drake, Imogen Heap, Elliot Smith and Rufus Wainwright. Dave Brubeck said of the jazz prodigy, “He's the most amazing talent I've ever come across. Remember him.”

Jon Nakamatsu/David Benoit: Duo Piano "Rhapsody in Blue"
Sunday, January 9, 2011, 7:30 p.m.

Nakamatsu, whom The Washington Post deemed, “very exciting indeed,” and the Chicago Tribune praised "…Nakamatsu shows impeccable taste; he puts a high gloss on anything he plays," is a frequent concerto soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and solo recitalist throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan. A Gold Medalist at the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1997, he was named Debut Artist of the Year 1998 by NPR's Performance Today. Benoit is a composer/pianist and five-time Grammy nominee known for his extraordinary and seminal contributions to contemporary jazz. Both artists have performed to sold-out crowds at Montalvo, and their duo performance of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” should follow suit as they take the stage to perform this beloved American classic.

An Evening with Lang Lang
Sunday, January 23, 2011; 7:30 p.m.
California Theatre, San Jose

"The hottest artist on the classical music planet." (The New York Times) Lang Lang, who opened Carnegie Hall’s season in September, has played sold-out recitals and concerts in every major city in the world and is the first Chinese classical pianist to be engaged by the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the top American orchestras. At only 28, the young piano sensation has quickly become a phenomenon in the eyes and ears of music lovers across the globe. “The ebullient Lang Lang is maturing as an artist…his playing is refined, almost severe. He has an intelligent way of shaping phrases, controlling dynamics, varying articulations” (The New Yorker). This solo performance, featuring works by Bach, Chopin and Schubert, is Lang Lang’s only concert in the South Bay this year, as well as a major highlight of Montalvo’s first Piano Masters Series.

Ticket Information

Quincy Jones Presents: Alfredo Rodriguez: $42/$37; Montalvo members $38/$33

Simone Dinnerstein: $42/$37;members $38/$33

Taylor Eigsti Trio: $45/$40; members: $40/$36

Jon Nakamatsu/David Benoit: $60/$55; members $54/$49

An Evening with Lang Lang: $100/$80/$55; members $90/$72/$49

Tickets are available through the Box Office, open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and through Ticketmaster.com

About Montalvo Arts Center
Montalvo Arts Center is an oasis of culture and nature that fulfills its mission by creating and presenting arts of all types; by nurturing artists; and by using its historic Villa, buildings and grounds in innovative ways that engage people in the creative process. Montalvo embraces Silicon Valley’s leadership in innovation by being an inspirational catalyst that connects artists, community and visitors so they can experience and celebrate the creative process. Montalvo’s programming includes: an annual theme-based arts program; music and performance; education and public programs; new media and visual arts; and the Sally and Don Lucas Artists Residency Program. Located in the Saratoga foothills in the midst of Silicon Valley, Montalvo occupies a Mediterranean-style villa on 175 stunning acres, which Senator James Phelan left to the people of California for the encouragement of promising students in the areas of art, music, literature and architecture. Montalvo celebrates its centennial in 2012. For more information about Montalvo Arts Center, call 408.961.5800 or visit www.montalvoarts.org.

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