Join the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music as we welcome guest pianist Jose Raul Lopez for an evening of music by 19th century Jewish composers. Entitled “Stars of David”, the evening will feature works by Felix Mendelssohn, Ferdinand Hiller, Fanny Hensel, Benjamin Godard, Charles Valentin Alkan, Julius Schulhoff, and Charles Valentin Alkan.

About José R. López

José López is Professor and Coordinator of the Piano Program at Florida International University in Miami;  President of the South Florida Chapter of the American Liszt Society and Secretary of the London-based Alkan Society.  A versatile pianist and enthusiastic performer of chamber music, he has recorded for SNE, Albany, Innova and Toccata Classics record labels.  His Toccata Classics discography includes the complete piano works of Italian dodecaphonic composer Riccardo Malipiero (2012); French-Jewish composer Charles V. Alkan’s complete Mozart transcriptions (2015); and an ongoing series dedicated to forgotten Cuban/Spanish composers (Comellas, 2016 and Espadero, 2019). Current and future volumes include chamber music and solo piano works.

López’s research also includes rescuing and publishing music written in Cuba during the 19th century.  His 2019 CD release of selected works by Nicolás Ruiz Espadero (1832-1890) complements López’s 2021 premiere publication of Espadero’s unpublished Transcendental Studies in the Cuban Musical Patrimony series.  

Born in Cuba into an immigrant family of Spanish, Basque, and Sephardic descent, López immigrated to the US at a young age and received his BM, MM and DMA degrees from the University of Miami School of Music, where he studied with Rosalina Sackstein (née Guerrero), a former pupil of Rafael de Silva and Claudio Arrau.

As UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s Head of Piano, we appreciate Inna Faliks’ facilitation of this event for the school.

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About Inna Faliks Ukrainian-born pianist Inna Faliks has established herself as one of the most communicative and poetic artists of her generation. She is Head of Piano at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

“Adventurous and passionate” (The New Yorker) Ukrainian-born pianist Inna Faliks has established herself as one of the most communicative, and poetic artists of her generation. She has made a name for herself through commanding performances of standard piano repertoire, as well genre-bending, interdisciplinary projects, and inquisitive work with contemporary composers. Her new memoir, Weight in the Fingertips, A Musical Odyssey from Soviet Ukraine to the World Stage, was published by Globe Pequot Press in October 2023.

Ms. Faliks’s distinguished career has brought thousands of recitals and concerts throughout the US, Asia, and Europe. Recent seasons have included performances at Alice Tully Hall, National Sawdust, Ravinia Festival, National Gallery of Art, the Wallis Annenberg Center, Oji Hall in Tokyo, tours of China, with appearances in all of its major halls including the Beijing Center for Performing Arts, Shanghai Oriental Arts Theater and Tianjin Grand Theater; debuts at the Festival Internacional de Piano in Mexico, the Fazioli Series in Italy, Israel’s Tel Aviv Museum, Portland Piano Festival, Camerata Pacifica and a collaboration with the contemporary dance company, Bodytraffic at the Broad Stage.

Inquisitive and versatile, Inna Faliks has had a strong commitment to contemporary music, giving premieres of works composed for and dedicated to her by Timo Andres, Billy Childs, Richard Danielpour, Paola Prestini, Ljova, Clarice Assad, Peter Golub. Her newest CD recording , “Manuscripts Don’t Burn” on Sono Luminus, was featured on NPR Morning Edition in May 2024.

Faliks created a one-woman show “Polonaise-Fantasie, Story of a Pianist”, an autobiographical monologue for pianist and actress, premiered in New York’s Symphony Space and performed worldwide. A committed chamber musician, she has had notable collaborations with Rachel Barton Pine, Gilbert Kalish, Ron Leonard, Fred Sherry, Ilya Kaler, Colin Carr, Wendy Warner, Clive Greensmith, and Antonio Lysy, among many others.

Inna Faliks has been featured on radio and television throughout the world. She co-starred with Downton Abbey’s Lesley Nicol in “Admission – One Shilling,” a play for pianist and actor based on the life of the great British pianist, Dame Myra Hess.

STARS OF DAVID

Works by XIX century Jewish composers

Jose Lopez, Piano

PROGRAM

Lieder ohne Worte (Songs without words) Felix Mendelssohn*

Op. 19 No. 1 in E major (Andante con moto) (1809-1847)

Op. 102, No. 3 in C major (Presto)

Op. 53, No. 1 in A-flat major (Andante con moto)

Op. 53, No. 2 in E-flat major (Allegro non troppo)

Op. 62, No. 1 in G major (Andante espressivo)

Op. 62, No. 2 in B-flat major (Allegro con fuoco)

Op. 62, No. 5 in A minor ‘Venetian gondola song’

(Andante con moto)

Op. 62, No. 6 in A major ‘Spring song’ (Allegretto grazioso)

La danse des fantômes (Dance of the ghosts) Ferdinand Hiller

(1811-1885)

Trois Ghasèles, Op. 54

Andante con moto

Allegretto

Vivo

Das Jahr (The Year), 12 character pieces Fanny Hensel, née Mendelssohn

No. 3: March (1805-1847)

3rd Barcarolle, Op. 105 Benjamin Godard

Études artistiques (1849-1895)

No. 1: Le Cavalier fantastique

Intermission

Salut, Cendre du Pauvre, Op. 45 Charles Valentin Alkan

(Hail, Ashes of the poor) (1813-1888)

Le Tournoi, Grande Étude, Op. 12 Julius Schulhoff

(The tournament, Etude) (1825-1898)

dedicated to Alkan

25 Préludes, Op. 31 (excerpts) Charles Valentin Alkan

No. 6: Ancienne mélodie de la synagogue (1813-1888)

(Ancient melody of the synagogue)

No. 22: Anniversaire (Anniversary)

No. 8: La chanson de la folle au bord de la mer

(Song of the mad woman by the seashore)

No. 18: in C-sharp minor

No. 12: Le temps qui n’est plus (The time that is no more)

No. 13: J’étais endormie, mais mon cœr veillait…

(I was asleep, but my heart kept watch…)

No. 14: Rapidement

2nd Sonata, Op. 59 Ferdinand Hiller

Allegretto grazioso  (1811-1885)

Allegro con fuoco  

Molto vivace