Piandemia Episode 5

We are a group of seven international Doctoral students from the piano studio of Dr. Tali Morgulis at the Moores School of Music, University of Houston. It was at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 that the Piandemia Project was born. Due to travel restrictions, it was impossible for us to travel. In order to reconnect with our roots, we decided to embark on a homeward journey, through music. Each episode of the Piandemia series features an introductory note and performance of a piano piece written by a composer from our country of origin. Each piece (carefully selected by each performer) is an exemplary piano work by a fellow countryman that uniquely encapsulates certain aspects of our respective cultures. The Piandemia Artistic Director Dr. Tali Morgulis, and the Piandemia pianists Pablo Martínez Martínez (Spain), Eduard Gavril (Romania), Olena Blahulyak (Ukraine), Xuefei Liu (China), Andrea Benabent Follana (Spain), Ruslan Bayazitov (Kazakhstan), and Paul McCarroll (Ireland) would like to thank the Moores Opera House staff, Sammy Butts (CEO of Fathom), The Moores School piano technicians, and all of those involved in the creation of this project.
Andrea Benabent introduces us to Lírica Española op. 54, “Habanera and Ronda Serrana,” by the Spanish composer Óscar Esplà. This piece reflects the flavors and rhythms of the south of Spain, especially of the region of Alicante.