The pianist    Metamorphosis   Ponce   Repertoire with orchestra    Repertoire solo   Audio and video excerpts  

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The pianist

"A master of the full-orchestra sound in piano"
Kurt Rutz, Die Rorschacher Zeitung, Switzerland.

Hailed by critics as the “best Mexican pianist of his generation”, Arturo Nieto-Dorantes inevitably sets the stage ablaze from the moment he fuses with his instrument. His artistic maturity and impeccable technique allow him to tackle the most diabolically difficult works with great panache and dexterity, unleashing a broad and colourful palette of sounds.

Arturo Nieto-Dorantes was under 15 when he first appeared as a soloist with a symphony orchestra, performing Chopin’s Concerto No.2. Today, he frequently guests with some of the most prestigious ensembles, in Mexico and abroad, including the Mexico City Philharmonic, the San Antonio Symphony, and the Orchestre symphonique de Québec. An undisputed master of the full orchestra sound, he has performed under the baton of many famous conductors, including Grzegorz Nowak, Carlos Miguel Prieto, and Gabriel Chmura, to name only a few. The piano virtuoso has also concertized throughout America and in Europe as a soloist, chamber musician, and recitalist. In addition, his brilliant recordings and high-level performances have garnered him high praise from critics. Moreover, Nieto-Dorantes has won several national and international awards and accolades, including the “best instrumental performer award,” bestowed by the Theatre and Music Critics Association of Mexico, in 2002.

Without any doubt, Arturo Nieto-Dorantes is an exceptionally gifted musician, a brilliant and prolific artist who seduces every listener with his unparalleled know-how and spellbinding virtuosity. Lend your ears... and be amazed!

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Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis: Breathtaking renditions inspired by folkloric traditions!

Considered the best Mexican pianist of his generation, Arturo Nieto-Dorantes is no stranger to the modern classical repertoire and its folkloric elements. For nearly ten years, the virtuoso has pursued extensive research into the traditional music of different countries, finding inspiration that extends beyond the melodic aspect of the pieces he studies. As a result, he introduces Metamorphosis, a fascinating concert that reflects his unceasing desire to explore the classical piano repertoire in all its richness and variety. Though he focuses here on works that bring out the characteristic traits of different cultures, it must be noted that this is only one of the prolific artist’s many endeavours.

Most of the colourful pieces featured in Metamorphosis either appear on Hemisferios Blanco/Negro—an album that includes works by Ponce, Debussy, and Prokofiev, among others—or Días de Mar y Río, which is devoted to the music of Latin American composers. At times gently moving, at times blazingly virtuosic, the pianist’s performance is enhanced by intriguing light and shadow effects, resulting in an utterly vibrant concert experience!

Arturo Nieto-Dorantes therefore promises a captivating programme of folklore-inspired works by some of the greatest modern composers—performed with the zeal and passion of a Mexican firestorm!

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Ponce

Ponce, or when the “best young Mexican pianist of his generation” revisits the greatest piano works by the father of Mexican nationalism.

When an artist hailed as the “best young Mexican pianist of his generation” revisits the works of a composer considered the father of Mexican nationalism, no doubt, the recital promises to be exceptionally intense. In his concert soberly entitled Ponce, piano virtuoso Arturo Nieto-Dorantes takes on the music of Manuel María Ponce, who was the very first Mexican composer to have exported his oeuvre.

And wise was Ponce indeed, as nowadays, many of his works are performed by symphony orchestras, while countless vocalists throughout the world sing his songs, often unaware of their provenance. As for his guitar music, it has become an integral part of the instrument’s repertoire—a tremendous feat, considering that Ponce was by no means a guitarist, but rather a pianist. For strictly historical reasons, his piano music, as powerful and expressive as it may be, did not receive the same international acclaim and was never performed or recorded in its entirety outside of Mexico.

And so, in this year marking the centennial of the Mexican revolution and the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence, Nieto-Dorantes presents a sample of the lesser-known repertoire of a composer who received the National Prize for Arts and Sciences. A dazzling concert that will revive, for a brief evening, the greatest piano works by the eminent Ponce.

Do not miss this exciting encounter between Arturo Nieto-Dorantes and Manuel María Ponce, a magnificent celebration of Mexican culture.

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Repertoire with orchestra

«  During the four movements of this devilishly difficult score, Nieto-Dorantes showed his lineage and performed with a maturity, a technical mastery and an understanding that is beyond anything we have ever heard before with him. (Prokofiev, Concerto No. 2)"
Làzaro Azar, novembre 2003, Reforma, Mexico.

Repertoire with orchestra

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Repertoire solo

July 26, 2004 : Broadcast of the July 20th, 2004 solo recital recorded for the CBC/Radio-Canada "Summer Concerts" program. This recital was performed at the Lachine Chamber Music Festival in Montreal. www.radio-Canada.ca/radio

CBC/Radio-Canada.
CBC/Radio-Canada. « He performed the Prokofiev 7th. Sonata with great brio and stamina. » Mario Paquet

Repertoire solo

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Audio and Video Excerpts



Prokofiev, Sonata no.7 3e mvt

Arturo Marquez, Dias de Mar y Rio

CONCERTO No. 2 S. PROKOFIEV 4° MOVEMENT / YouTube

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