Newsletter from The Dranoff

August 2011

I want to thank in you so very much for the outpouring of loving condolences to the family of Loretta Dranoff and to the foundation. So many wrote about her brilliance, her caring, her wonderful musicianship, her mothering, her impact on their lives.

Anne and Ed Turgeon put it so well:

"Loretta knew that music involves the impractical and the unpredictable. The realm of dreamers - she truly believed that music will always reign supreme in transcending the realities of everyday existence. She knew that art comes from the same space as Gods, Goddesses, myths and legends. She knew that the very survival of our society depends on art, and the wisdom of those who support it."

Today, as we attempt to maintain and grow the foundation's reach and impact in an increasingly fast, stressed society, we invite old supporters and new to join hearts and minds to continue Loretta's mission.

I ask you to join our supporters in our first annual summer fund drive; the goal is to raise $100,000 to lead the Dranoff into the 25th Performance season.

I am extremely proud to announce that pianist and Chair of Keyboard Performance of the University of Miami Frost School of Music, Santiago Rodriguez, has joined our Artistic Advisory Board.

Gabriele Fiorentino

CONTENT

2011 SUMMER FUND DRIVE - read

NEW ARTISTIC ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER - read

PERFORMANCE CALENDARS - read

2011 SUMMER FUND DRIVE

Dreams are what propel us but means are what make things happen. We are all living in this place and time, and I know you know how challenging times are. We need your support!

Consider it an investment into the civility and richness of our community!

We suggest a donation of $200.

Here are the ways:

- you may mail a check payable to the Murray Dranoff Foundation
- you may call into the office a charge to your credit card
- you may use your PayPal account

For contributions in excess of $1000, we offer a payment schedule.

Here is the how:

- Check:   The Dranoff International two Piano Foundation
       Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 702
     Miami, Fl 33137
- Credit Card Charge or to set up a Payment Plan:
     Call (305) 572 9900
- PayPal: Please click here to go to our website

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SANTIAGO RODRIGUEZ

Santiago Rodriguez

Two questions -

Finish the statement, "Music is ..."

"This statement is complete: Music is."

What is the relevance of music in modern society?

"It counteracts the madness".

Santiago Rodriguez was born in Cárdenas, Cuba and began his piano studies at age four. After Castro seized power in Cuba, his parents sent Mr. Rodriguez and his younger brother to America under the care of the Catholic Charities. He spent the next six years in an orphanage in New Orleans. Fortunately, his mother had concealed money along with a note begging the nuns to continue his musical education. Two years after his arrival, he made his concert debut at age ten performing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27 with the New Orleans Philharmonic.

Santiago Rodriguez holds a masters degree from the Juilliard School, where he studied on full scholarship as a pupil of Adele Marcus, and he completed his undergraduate studies magna cum laude with William Race at the University of Texas.

His international career was launched in 1981 when he won the Silver Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition; he also received a special prize for the best performance of Leonard Bernstein's Touches, a work commissioned for the competition. Mr. Rodriguez' unique life and artistry were profiled on CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Kurault in 1993. He has also been featured numerous times on the ABC, NBC, PBS, CNN, BBC, and CBC television networks.

One of today's foremost interpreters of the music of Sergei Rachmaninov, Santiago Rodriguez has performed all of the composer's major piano works in concert. He is currently recording The Rachmaninov Edition, which, when completed, will encompass the entire catalog of Rachmaninov's original solo piano compositions. He also has recorded numerous world premieres, including Piano Concerto No. 1 by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco; the Concertino for piano, strings, and cymbals of Carlos Surinach; and the Piano Sonata No. 2 of Alberto Ginastera, which was premiered by Rodriguez at Alice Tully Hall in New York.

Santiago Rodriguez enjoys a distinguished reputation as a teacher and master-clinician. A longtime member of the Piano Division at the University of Maryland, in 2009 he accepted the position of Professor and Artist-in-residence at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami and now is the Chair of Keyboard Performance.

We welcome Santiago to our Artistic Advisory Board!

PERFORMANCES

Holland

7/20-8/28 - Hortusfestival. Amsterdam, Leiden, Utrecht, Haren. An all Liszt program based on his letters of his travels through Europe. Maarten Van Veen. www.hortusfestival.nl

8/14 - Euromast Park. Rotterdam. CHarles Valentin Alkan, C. Saint-Saens. Piano concert with the Sinfonietta Rotterdam. Maarten Van Veen. http://www.sinfoniarotterdam.nl

9/16 - Natuurtheater, Heeswijk Dinther. Canto Ostinato by Simeon ten Holt. Duo Van Veen. www.vanveenproductions.com

Germany

9/24 - Beethovenhalle, Bonn. Liszt (incl. Beethoven's 9th Symphony arr. by Franz Liszt). Duo d'Accord. Beethovenhalle

Duo d'Accord

Austria

8/1-8/13 - Mozarteum, Salzburg. Summer International Academy Faculty. Svetlana Smolina.

Norway

9/18 - Lindemann Hall, Oslo. Recital. Duo De Stefano

England

9/9-9/10 - Ewenny Priory Church, Cardiff. Piano 4 hands, Douwe Eisenga, Philip Glass, Aarvo Part. Duo Van Veen

Poland

9/19 - International Duo Piano Competition, Bialystock. Duo De Stefano.

Russia

9/12 - Shuvalov's House, Moscow. Concert. Duo IM

(Irina Silivanova & Maxim Puryzhinsiy)

10/2 - Philharmonic Hall, Ivanovo. Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov. Duo De Stefano with Olga and Natalia Tatiesvkaya.

Ecuador

7/31 - International Mendelssohn Festival, Quito. John Adams, Henry Martin, Avner Dorman, Felix Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn Festival, Duo Stephanie & Saar

Colombia

9/21-9/22 - Arango Concert Hall, Bogota. Canto Ostinato and Master Class. Duo Van Veen.

Australia

7/29-8/6 - Australian Festival of Chamber Music, Townsville. AFCM website, John & Richard Contiguglia

Japan

9/16 - Symphony Hall, Osaka. ABC Homecoming Concert.

Duo Deu'or

9/21 - Takara-kyi Dream Station, Tokyo. Concert. Duo Deu'or (Yoshie & Takashi)

United States

9/15 - Temple University Rock Hall, Philadelphia. Brahms, "My Music, My Love". Concert. Svetlana Smolina, Concert website

10/21-10/23 - "Chicago Liszt 200" Duo Piano Competition, Chicago. Duo De Stefano. Chicago Music Institute

CONTRIBUTE

FROM RUSSIA

Duo IM

Irina Silivano & Maxim Puryzhinskiy

FROM HOLLAND

Duo Van Veen play Douwe Eisenga in the Project 'Space & Rhythm"

Hortus Festival, Maarten Van Veen

watch the entire show

About the Dranoff

The Dranoff was founded in 1987 with the mission to advance two piano music and its artists. Since then, we have contributed 11 new compositions to the literature, and have been a career stepping stone for dozens of piano duos worldwide.

We are a proud Steinway Competition

Our Sponsors

Adrienne Arsht Center

Alejandra Von Hartz Gallery

Arts For Learning

Books & Books

The Batchelor Foundation

The Betsy - South Beach

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Evensky & Katz

Florida Arts & Culture