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HAROLD LOPEZ-NUSSA, WINNER IN
MONTREUX
Jazz in the blood
BY MIREYA CASTAÑEDA—Granma International staff
writer—
EVEN
though the youthful pianist Harold López-Nussa talks
of his surprise at receiving First Prize in the Solo
Piano Competition in Montreux, Switzerland, his jazz
lineage has made him a powerful contestant from the
outset. His father and brother, both called Ruy, are
renowned percussionists in the genre, and his uncle,
Hernán, one of the Cuba’s finest pianists.
At
the 39th Montreux Festival, one of the most
important jazz events in the world (it has convened
piano, voice and guitar competitions for seven
years), Harold, aged 22 and still a student at the
Superior Institute of Arts (ISA), and his colleague,
Alfredo Rodríguez, confronted a deluxe jury, headed
by Joe Sample and comprising notable
instrumentalists and connoisseurs of the genre, like
George Duke, Robi Weber, Kurt Weil and Jean-Claude
Rever.
Twelve young musicians reached the semi-final: the
two Cubans, two Americans, one Australian, one
Bulgarian, one Brazilian, one Pole, one Italian, one
Japanese and one Russian.
Of
the Cuban duo, only Harold reached the finals where,
with a masterly interpretation of “Memories of
Tomorrow,“ by Keith Jarrett; “Footprints,” by W.
Shorter; and “E’cha,” his own work, won over the
jury and the public, which also conceded him the
prize.
The
second place went to U.S. Max Haymer and the third
was shared between Brazilian Philippe Baden Powel de
Aquino and Indonesian Nial Djuliarso.
During a meeting with the Cuban press at the
headquarters of the Union of Artists and Writers of
Cuba (UNEAC), Harold, in his youthful modesty,
confided his surprise at the Montreux award and
considered it, above all, as an attainment for young
Cuban pianists and jazz.
“This is an annual competition and although it is
the first time that Cubans participated, our country
could be very well represented because we have the
standard for that, as has been shown. The prize is a
very important one because that will open other
doors to Cuban music.
At
the practical level, the first prize signifies that
Harold López-Nussa is to give a concert in the 2006
Montreux Festival (for those who like round dates,
the 40th edition), will record a demo in a Swiss
studio and is invited, also next year, for a
conference series in New York.
Still as a student, Harold has won national
competitions (Amadeo Roldán Grand Prize at 10),
First Prize in the Ibero-American Piano Competition
and a finalist in Citta di Senigalia, Italy.
He
has also had other successes, such as performing
Ravel’s Concerto in G Major with the Matanzas
Symphony Orchestra conducted by the maestro Enrique
Pérez Mesa, or being one of those selected to
accompany pianist Ulises Hernández in the 2003
premiere in Cuba of the integral works of Hector
Villa-Lobos (Harold defended the Concerto No. 4).
His
academic history began in the Manuel Saumell
Conservatoire after he was incorporated into the
so-called talent plan of the pianist and outstanding
professor Teresita Junco (“she has been a special
guide and teacher who knows what one needs, always
with an appropriate idea of each step to take, of
each obstacle to overcome”), and is currently in his
second year at the ISA.
A
fully in-the-making pianist, he confides that he is
attracted by all music, jazz (“a family passion”)
and classical “which I will never abandon.”
Harold López-Nussa had taken his first successful
steps. He has conquered in Montreux. Now he has to
so ahead with his studies, as according to his own
and wise words “There is still much to learn and
discover.” |
