N Blanco Y Negro Piano Duo & Jennifer Redondas, violin, play La Bella Cubana by José White Lafitte

José White Lafitte

La Bella Cubana
Mirta Gomez and Sahily Canovas
piano four-hands
Jennifer Redondas, violin

José White Lafitte La Bella Cubana.
Cuban violinist and composer, the son of a Spaniard father and an Afro-Cuban mother. José began his violin studies with his father and continued his education at the Paris Conservatoire. He gave his first solo recital in 1854 being his accompanist the American pianist and composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk. In 1856, he won First Prize in Violin embarking him in an international career.

La Bella Cubana was composed in Paris, originally for 2 violins and piano. This evening the N Blanco Y Negro Piano Duo will perform the piece for 4 hands and one violin. Enjoy. (note by Mirta Gomez)

N Blanco Y Negro Piano Duo (Mirta Gómez and Sahily Canovas) was founded in 2017, and their first recital took place the same year in Miami. Since then, the Duo have performed throughout the United States & Europe. In 2021, their musical affinity and virtuosity has won them 3 International Competitions: Gold Medal in Macedonia, Laureate in France, and Gold Medal in Italy.

In November of 2023, the Duo won the Euterpe Music Awards in Berlin, Germany. The pianists, both of Cuban descent, have studied in USA & USSR. Mirta Gomez is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York City and Sahily Canovas is a graduate of the Kiev & Odessa States Conservatories. Both artists have performed as soloists in the United States, Canada, South America, & Europe. Sahily & Mirta play Steinway Pianos.

Originally from Cuba, violinist/violist Jennifer Redondas has performed as a soloist in the U.S., Netherlands, Italy, Austria, France and Cuba in venues that include the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Mozarteum in Austria. As a historical violinist and violist, she has participated in the Oregon Bach Festival and Berwick Academy under the direction of Jos van Veldhoven. Her passion for Cuban music and jazz has led her to perform at SF Jazz with renowned artists such as Chris Potter, Anat Cohen and Chucho Valdés. An active member öf the "Adventures in Music" program at the San Francisco Symphony, Redondas was a Fellow for the Classical Tahoe Orchestra 2023 season. She holds a Master's Degree in Violin Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Recorded live September, 20th 2024 at Old First Concerts, 1751 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA 94109. For more upcoming concerts please visit oldfirstconcerts.org