Horacio Gutiérrez facts for kids

Horacio Gutiérrez (born in 1948) is a talented Cuban-American classical pianist. He is well-known for playing beautiful music from the Romantic period.

Early Life and Learning Music

Horacio Gutiérrez was born in Cuba. When he was young, his family decided to leave Cuba. They moved to the United States in 1962.

In the U.S., Horacio studied piano in Los Angeles. One of his teachers was Sergei Tarnowsky. Mr. Tarnowsky had also taught Vladimir Horowitz, a very famous pianist. Later, Horacio went to the Juilliard School in New York City. There, he learned from Adele Marcus. He also worked with William Masselos, who had a teacher who studied with Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms.

A Career in Music

Horacio Gutiérrez has been performing music for more than 40 years. He first appeared on American television in 1966. This was on a show called Young People's Concerts with Leonard Bernstein. He played a piece called "The Great Gate of Kiev."

In 1970, Horacio played with the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra. He performed Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto. A music critic from the Los Angeles Times called his first performance "spectacular."

Besides performing, Horacio has also taught music. He was a professor at the University of Houston from 1996 to 2003. Today, he teaches at the Manhattan School of Music.

Horacio is most famous for playing Romantic music. This includes composers like Chopin and Liszt. He also plays music by Classical composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms.

He also supports modern American composers. He has played music by William Schuman, André Previn, and George Perle. His recording of George Perle's music was named one of the best recordings of 2006. George Perle even wrote a piece of music just for Horacio.

Music Recordings

Horacio Gutiérrez has made many recordings. You can find his music on labels like EMI, Telarc, and Chandos Records.

Some of his well-known recordings include:

• Prokofiev's Concertos No. 2 and 3. He played these with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. This recording was highly praised when it came out in 1990.
• Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 and No. 2. He played these with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
• Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini. He played these with the Baltimore Symphony.
• Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 and Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1. He played these with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Television Appearances

Horacio Gutiérrez has appeared on television several times:

• BBC "Previn Music Nights" with the London Symphony Orchestra (1975).
• PBS Series: "Previn and the Pittsburgh" (1976, 1982).
• PBS Series: Live from Lincoln Center, "Mostly Mozart Festival" (1985).
• PBS Series: Live from Lincoln Center, "Chamber Music Society with Irene Worth and Horacio Gutierrez" (1986).
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1985, 1986). He was on this show three times!

Awards and Honors

Horacio Gutiérrez has won several important awards:

• In 1970, at age 21, he won the silver medal. He was also the top American prize-winner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
• In 1982, he received the Avery Fisher Prize. This award recognizes great musical achievements.
• He won an Emmy Award for one of his performances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

About His Life

Horacio Gutiérrez lives and works in the United States. He met his wife, Patricia Asher, who is also a pianist. They met while studying music at the Juilliard School.

See also

In Spanish: Horacio Gutiérrez para niños