The Runaways

Recital for piano and voice with works by current Spanish composers based in New York.

The Runaways is a recital for solo piano and voice of compositions by living composers from Spain who sought to expand their creative borders by moving to New York City. With The Runaways we will explore the captivating crossroads of Spanish and American music showcasing the music of contemporary Spanish composers such as Sonia Megías, Octavio Vazquez and Ricardo Llorca. All of us composers who have found our artistic home in the United States. The concert will be preceded by a talk by composer Ricardo Llorca, who will delve into the fascinating interaction between Spanish and American musical traditions, highlighting the profound influence each has had on the other.

Rosa Torres-Pardo, pianist

One of the most outstanding Spanish pianists of her generation. Extraordinary Prize at the Madrid Conservatory, she furthered her studies in London with María Curcio and also at Juilliard School in New York. In 2017 she was awarded the National Music Prize (Spain). She has performed on stages such as the Teatro Real in Madrid, at Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center in New York, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires or Konzerthaus in Berlin, among others. Her recent recording of the piano works of E. Granados with Deustche Grammophon has been unanimously praised by the critics. She has given master classes at the Juilliard School, the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna and the Beijing Conservatory. Her repertoire ranges from 18th century Spanish music to the latest generations of contemporary composers.

Anna Tonna, mezzo soprano

Mezzo Soprano Anna Tonna has been described as "mezzo heroine who knows how to sing Rossini" by the Rossini Gessellschaft and as "showing off her warm, secure mezzo-soprano to maximum advantage" by the New York Magazine; accolades such as these explain her constant demand as a recitalist and opera singer in both Europe and the Americas. The combination of a highly developed coloratura with a full, balanced, flexible lower register have guaranteed her acclaim as a lyric mezzo, both in familiar roles Rosina, Carmen, Dorabella, as well as in more rare repertoire by Paisiello, Vivaldi, Mascagni, Zandonai and Giordano.

Additionally, Anna's passion for excellence in the recital genre have garnered her increasing acclaim in both the U.S. and Europe, particularly her path breaking explorations of the repertoire of composers from Spain and Latin America. Anna's recitals are a source of expectation and excitement in New York City, where she has performed at both the Alice Tully Hall and Rose Center of Lincoln Center, Bargemusic, Merkin Hall, New York's Town Hall, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. The same excitement greets her appearances in Spain, with performances at the Auditorio Nacional de España, Teatro del Escorial and the Academia Marshall in Barcelona.

This program is carried out with the support of the Program for the Internationalization of Spanish Music and Performing Arts, co-organized by the Cervantes Institute and the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music (INAEM) of the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sports, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan -financed by the European Union- Nextgeneration.eu.