Representation In Melodies
The Conservatory of Music’s Guatemalan Piano Showcase highlights representation
By Gretchen Lembcke-Pena, Editor-in-Chief
On Sept. 22, Lynn University’s Conservatory of Music held a Guatemalan Piano Music Showcase in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. The event was headlined by two Guatemalan Lynn students.
The showcase, named “Vitrina Pianistica,” held in the Amarnick-Goldstein Concert Hall, was attended by a number of families and children from both the Lynn and external communities.
The show began with Carlos Fernando Jr. Medina Romero, a Class of 2023 Lynn student who has displayed his grand talent during his years at the institution. When his fingers first stroke the keys to Jorge Sarmientos’s “Tocata Para Piano,” the crowd was immediately entranced by his talent.
“Considering that I’m here in the United States, the most important thing is that freshness from composers that aren’t very common here and for us to be able to show people their music and for them to like it,” said Jr. Medina. “Our vision is to assimilate the music well and transmit that to the audience.”
Romero was joined by Alfonso Hernandez (Class of 2017), a Lynn University alumnus who played the keys for the second half of the showcase, which began with Xavier Beteta’s “Tiene Duende.”
The song was one of the highlights of his portion of the show, with suspenseful highs and lows and the display of creative parts of the piece by Hernandez touching the strings inside the piano to place a somber feeling onto the audience.
“We wanted to show another style of the artistic side of Guatemala since usually, other types of music are heard more often, which is still good, but more popular,” said Hernandez.
“This recital gave a new lens towards another type of art and work in Guatemala,” he added.
The showcase concluded spectacularly with both pianists playing “Sonata para dos pianos — Acuarelas chapinas,” by Manuel Martinez Sobral. The piece, intended to be played by two pianists, highlighted Medina’s and Hernandez’s talent as both managed connect spectacularly.
Having known each other since they were eight years old, their success was no surprise.
“Every piano is different, meaning they have different technicalities. It took me a bit longer to get used to the pianos we were using,” said Romero. Romero added, “The most complex thing when doing the ensemble was before we did ‘Sonata para dos pianos’, we had to do an orchestral reference. To be able to put all this orchestral sound into two pianos was very complex; when you listen to it, it should sound like you’re listening to one piano.”
When the showcase ended, both pianists participated in a Q&A with the audience. Overall, it was an exceptional experience, and students and other members of the Lynn community should consider attending future showcases
