Sept. 21, 2016
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) With his soulful eyes and hipster mustache, Spanish composer Enrique Granados was known as the "poet of the piano." His works reflect the Catalan piano tradition - one of the greatest in Europe - which emphasized clarity, color and a mastery of the pedals.
On Sunday, Sept. 25, The Catholic University of America will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Granados's death with a concert of his best-known works by faculty members from the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music and guest performers from several Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Part of Hispanic Heritage Month, the concert celebrates Granados's contributions as well as the music school's dedication to Latin American music traditions. The school is home to the Latin American Center for Graduate Studies in Music, which was founded in 1984 and offers master's and doctoral degree in the full range of music studies with concentrations in Latin American music.
Born in 1867, Granados was part of a nationalist school of Spanish composers whose death in 1916 was tragically linked to a visit he made that year to Washington, D.C. While in New York for the premiere of his opera Goyescas at the Metropolitan Opera House, he was invited to the White House to perform for President Woodrow Wilson.
Deciding to spend extra time in D.C., he missed the boat that he was supposed to board for his return trip to Spain. Instead, he and his wife took the steamship Sussex, which was torpedoed by a German submarine while crossing the English Channel. Both he and his wife died, leaving behind six children.
The concert program includes selections from his piano music, chamber music, songs, and the opera, Goyescas. The concert, which runs from 3 to 5:15 p.m. in Ward Recital Hall, is free and open to the public.
For more information, call 202-319-5414.
MEDIA: To schedule an interview or attend this event, contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at cua-public-affairs@cua.edu or 202-319-5600.