Juan David Mora
piano
Regarded as one of Colombia’s most accomplished pianists, Juan David Mora completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in piano at Universidad EAFIT in Medellín and obtained his Doctorate in piano performance at Université de Montréal, Canada.
Mora’s expertise and passion for vocal piano music led him to participate in distinguished courses and festivals in Canada and France, where he worked under the tutelage of top recitalists such as Jeff Cohen, Dalton Baldwin, Christian Ivaldi, Gabriel Tacchino, Francis Perron, David Lutz, and François Le Roux. As a result, he is highly sought out to collaborate with Colombia’s top international performers, including Valeriano Lanchas, Ana María Ruge, and Catalina Cuervo.
For 10 years, he has been a pianist at the Family Concerts of Teatro Metropolitano in Medellín and has collaborated as a soloist and guest musician with the Medellín Philharmonic, EAFIT Symphony and Antioquia Symphony Orchestras, as well as the contemporary dance company Danza Concierto.
His recording catalogue includes four works of chamber music by Colombian composers, supported by EAFIT University’s Musicology Research Group, as well as a recording for violin, cello, and piano trios by Colombian composers.
Currently, Juan David Mora is a professor of piano at Universidad EAFIT in Medellín, Colombia.
Catalina Cuervo
soprano
Known as the “Fiery Soprano,” Colombian-born Catalina Cuervo holds the distinction of having performed the most productions of Piazzolla’s María de Buenos Aires. She has performed the role of María for numerous prestigious companies, including Florida Grand Opera, the Atlanta Opera, Cincinnati Opera, and Syracuse Opera to name a few.
Ms. Cuervo made her debut in Detroit with much success as Frida Kahlo in the revival of the opera Frida with Michigan Opera Theater in 2015 and then with Cincinnati Opera for their 2017 season. This opera gave her a huge following in the Michigan and Cincinnati and both ended with sold-out shows and triumphant reviews, one even calling Frida the best opera of the 2015 season.
As a result, Catalina was named one of the five most successful Colombian sopranos in the opera world by the Ministry of Culture of Colombia.
2017 was the year of Manuel de Falla for Ms. Cuervo: Last May, she made her symphonic debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in The Three-Cornered Hat, and she debuted El amor brujo with the New Mexico Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony, and the San Louis Symphony.
Ms. Cuervo was a finalist at the Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition in Germany and won the graduate division of the Chicago area for the Classical Singer Competition as well as being a finalist in New York for the same.
Besides singing, Catalina Cuervo is also a model and a flamenco, tango, and belly dancer.
Of Italian descent, Peter Soave’s earliest memories are of music played on an accordion. By age three, he was certain of his life’s work. He began music studies at five, and quickly gravitated toward classical music. At 16, he entered international competitions and swept first place four times, confirming his reputation as a virtuoso of the highest order—winning Grand Prix in Neu Isenberg, West Germany; Klingenthal Wettbewerb in East Germany; Coupe Mondiale in Folkstone, England; and the Trophée Mondiale in Arrezano, Italy.
In 1987, Peter Soave was the inaugural recipient of “Voce d’Oro,” the international award honoring those who have given prominence to the accordion in the world of modern music. Deeply inspired by the music of Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla, Mr. Soave’s impassioned musicianship motivated him to include the characteristic bandoneón in his performances.
Mr. Soave’s engagements include performances as a soloist and with orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout North and South America, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Russia. He has appeared with the San Francisco Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Zagreb Philharmonic, Windsor Symphony, Flint Symphony, San Salvador Philharmonic, Belgrade Philharmonic, Lubbock Symphony, Bellevue Philharmonic, Walla Walla Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico, Williamsport Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho, and The Zagreb Soloists. Mr. Soave collaborated with conductors such as James Levine, Neeme Jarvi, Thomas Wilkins, Robert Spano, Leone Mageira, Hermann Michael, Duilio Dobrin, and Guillermo Figueroa. For the only North America appearance in 1999 of the “Three Tenors,” Soave performed as the featured bandoneónist. He has also appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America.
In 2007, Soave premiered Astor Piazzolla’s oratorio El Pueblo Joven, written for symphony orchestra, voice recitative, soprano, bandoneón, choir, and percussion, with the Radio Romania Chamber Orchestra, Romania.
Mr. Soave has had numerous compositions written for him by Venezuela’s foremost composer Aldemaro Romero. Among the works: Piazzollana-Homage à Piazzolla for bandoneón and full orchestra; Suite de Castelfidardo for bandoneón and string orchestra; Soavecito for accordion and string orchestra; and Tango Furioso for bandoneón and string quartet. Romero’s Five Paleontological Mysteries, for accordion and string quartet, received its American premiere in Detroit in February 2008 and its European premiere in Italy in July 2008.
Mr. Soave’s discography includes a solo album Pride and Passion, Five Tango Sensations with The Rucner String Quartet, a double CD Undertango 2, and Peter Soave & Symphony Orchestra, featuring the music of Astor Piazzolla and Carmine Coppola. His recording awards include the Detroit Music Award for Best Classical Recording in 2001 and Best Classical Instrumentalist in 2003.
Eager to harmonize nature and music, Soave founded the Peter Soave Music Academy (petersoavemusicacademy.com) in the Dolomite Mountains in Italy in 2010, welcoming music lovers to convene and share.
Mr. Soave plays a “Mythos #002” concert accordion and an “Adrian #001” bandoneón, made by Pigini in Italy.
