Марта Аргерих
Марта Аргерих (Аргерич). Martha Argerich; род. 5 июня 1941, Буэнос-Айрес) - аргентинская пианистка.
Выдающаяся исполнительница европейской фортепианной музыки от Баха до Бартока и Шнитке, но прежде всего - авторов-романтиков (Шопен, Шуман).
Родилась в семье Хуаниты Хеллер и Хуана Мануэля Аргериха, экономистов и активистов социалистического движения. Бабушка и дедушка по материнской линии были еврейскими иммигрантами из России, поселившимися в одной из земледельческих колоний барона де Гирша и Еврейского колонизационного общества (Colonia Villa Clara) в провинции Энтре-Риос. Начала играть в три года, публично дебютировала исполнением концерта Моцарта в 8 лет. В 1955 семья переехала в Европу. Марта училась у Фридриха Гульды, Артуро Бенедетти Микеланджели, Штефана Ашкенази.
В 1957 г. стала победительницей Международного конкурса исполнителей в Женеве и Международного конкурса пианистов имени Бузони, в 1965 г. - победительницей Международного конкурса пианистов имени Шопена в Варшаве. О ней снят документальный фильм Жоржа Гашо «Марта Аргерич: Ночной разговор» (2002).
Габриэла Монтеро
Gabriela Montero (born May 10, 1970, Caracas) is a Venezuelan-American pianist, known in particular for her real-time improvisation of complex musical pieces made "on the fly" on themes suggested by her audience.
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, of an American-born mother and a Venezuelan father, Gabriela Montero was barely a seven-month-old infant when her parents, at the insistence of her maternal grandmother, placed a toy piano in her playpen. It had been bought as a Christmas present for an older cousin. The baby immediately lifted her right index finger and went on to play individual notes, never once banging it with her fist, to the great surprise of her parents and grandmother. It became her favorite toy. She was put to sleep every night by her mother who sang to her the melody of the Venezuelan National Anthem, a tradition in the South American country. One day when she was fifteen months old, her parents noticed she was picking out a familiar tune on the little piano. Three months later, before she could even speak, she had picked out by herself the entire melody of the National Anthem. From then on she would repeat this process with whatever song she heard.
Montero began formal piano lessons at age four with Lyl Tiempo, an Argentinan piano teacher who resided in Caracas, and gave her first public performance at the age of five. At the age of eight she made her concerto debut at the National Theater in Caracas. From her first contact with a piano, Montero has always improvised and she decided to make it public at the behest of Martha Argerich, who told her not to be afraid whether people would find it improper or not.
Now, after performing a concerto, Montero often invites her audience to participate in asking for a melody for improvisations. At times, also the orchestra may suggest a theme. "When improvising,"
Montero says, "I connect to my audience in a completely unique way - and they connect with me. Because improvisation is such a huge part of who I am, it is the most natural and spontaneous way I can express myself. I have been improvising since my hands first touched the keyboard, but for many years I kept this aspect of my playing secret. Then Martha Argerich overheard me improvising one day and was ecstatic. In fact, it was Martha who persuaded me that it was possible to combine my career as a serious ‘classical’ artist with the side of me that is rather unique."
