Pianist Antonio Gonzalez will give a concert together with music school students
Italian pianist Antonio Gonzalez visiting Armenia for the first time gave a master class at the Tchaikovsky Specialized Music Secondary School. Without presenting the importance and necessity for such events, it should only be mentioned that giving master classes by eminent musicians visiting our country for decades at this 75-year old school, which trains musicians for the Komitas State Conservatory, seems to become a tradition. “Aravot” attended the classes given by this Italian pianist. School auditorium was full not only with students and professors, but also our prominent musicians, moreover, not only pianist. At the end of the master class, Antonio Gonzalez, talking to us and evaluating the role of music secondary vocational schools, said that in Italy, for example, the 6-year-old child, decades ago, was attending Conservatory from the first grade.
Music vocational children’s institutions have begun to operate in our country since recent times. To half-jokingly and half-serious question of why he had attended the piano lessons not at the age of 6 but 7, our interlocutor replied, “My parents were not musicians, but my father who was an engineer by profession was an ardent music lover. He even played on a few musical instruments. It was my father who first noticed my musical abilities. That was the reason why I started to learn the piano at the age of 7. In general, there are children whose musical abilities are displayed at the age of 6, 7, 8 or at a higher age. For example, if Mozart started playing piano at age 3, then, if I’m not mistaken, my favorite composer Aram Khachaturian started to seriously deal with composition at the age of 21…”.
We inquired whether the information reached us is true that one of his professional preferences is to communicate with children, that is to say, giving master classes. If yes, then whether he can bring at least one example that seeing a talent with the beginner pianist, he has kept him in his “visual field”. “Years ago, in the USA, during the sequential master class, I was attracted by a 5-year-old kid. He was just a genius. I began to work with him as much as possible. Now, this child is 11 years old, the famous Gavin George, who recently won the US President Barack Obama prize,” informed the pianist.
Skipping the question of whether he met someone talented among the students whom he was teaching at the Tchaikovsky Specialized School, Antonio Gonzalez replied, “Really, they are wonderful students. I’m impressed so much that just hearing them playing, I already got an idea about the high quality Armenian piano school. At this point, I can only say that the school director Martun Kostandyan gladly accepted my offer on giving a concert jointly with the students at the school concert hall.”
Samvel DANIELYAN
In the photo – Antonio Gonzalez with Tchaikovsky school students
I don’t think this man is for real. First of all Gonzalez is not an Italian last name, it is either Spanish or Latin American last name. Second, I could not find any article about him neither in Wikipedia nor in You Tube.
How come he is that famous and nothing rhymes with what his agent or agents are talking about.
I think our conductor had many reasons in rejecting him.
Maybe this “pianist” thought he can fool Armenians and disrespected the conductor by not being punctual and avoiding to practice before the concert.
Now the managers are upset because they did not make the money they were expecting and they are bad mouthing the smart conductor