Eminent pianists Lang Lang from China, and Chucho Valdés of Cuba, will share the stage at a free outdoor concert to be held in Havana on October 9, as confirmed today by one of the organizers.
The New York Times rates Lang as the best classical artist in the world, while Time magazine included him on the list of the one hundred most influential people in the world.
Multiple critics have described the Chinese pianist as an “amazing and very passionate virtuoso,” in much the same way as they have referred to the singular Cuban jazz musician, Chucho Valdés, winner of eight Grammys and born in Havana, where he will offer the concert to celebrate 500 years since the city’s founding
The two met last year by chance in Vienna, cultural communications specialist and organizer Eric Latzky told Prensa Latina.
Each had a series of shows scheduled in the European city, they met for a short time and played some music together in private, before deciding that they would like to perform a concert together, he added.
Music is important to Havana and we are close neighbors with many common cultural interests, explained Latzky, a U.S. citizen, just like the other members of the concert production team who recently spent a few days in Havana to study the Plaza de la Catedral venue.
The square, located in the heart of the oldest part of the city, was chosen as the best site for the concert and Latzky thanked the Cuban Institute of Music and its president, Orlando Vistel, for their cooperation on this project.
According to the cultural specialist, each artist has already made a proposal regarding the pieces they would like to play.
U.S. violinist and conductor Marin Alsop, director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, will decide the final concert program as he will be conducting the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra on the night.
According to the Colombian press, Lang has opened doors to new audiences, who had previously considered classical music boring.
Dionisio Jesús Valdés Rodríguez, known as Chucho Valdés, entered the Latin Jazz Hall of Fame in Los Angeles in 2000, and has received honorary doctorates from universities in Canada, the U.S. and Cuba.
The New York Times called him “the Dean of Latin Jazz” in 2012 and, considering the sound of this musical genre, Chucho-branded pianos are now being produced in Japan.
Latsky sees the union of these two greats of world music as a festive occasion and hopes the Cuban people will enjoy this gift.
