The range of concerts, this season of the XLV Deia International Festival of Music has just started and encompasses over 45 concerts and they are not just performed in Deia as the name suggests but in beautiful surroundings such as The Belmond La Residencia, Casa de Robert Graves, Son Marroig, Claustre de Sant Francesc, Sineu, my favourite in the cloisters, Tianna Negre with its wonderful setting in the courtyard of the Bodega, Sa Bassa Rotja hotel, a finca hotel dating back hundreds of years and the auditorium Juan March in Palma. So many locations, so many artists of talent performing coming from not only Spain but Worldwide.
From Jazz, classical music, Latin music and a mixture of quartets, pianists and Sax. The Festival has it all and each year Celebrity magazine is invited to all concerts but sadly I can only attend as many concerts as possible. All take you away from your daily challenges as you listen, enjoy and take in the atmosphere of each concert and marvel at the talent that is in front of you for those few hours. The Festival brings something new and exciting each year. But how we must ask? It does not just happen.
Once again Alfredo Oyaguez, its Director excels and brings in sponsors, grants and donations. No easy task and one that we do not think about as we enjoy each concert. However, months are spent in creating the season with his team all of which must be commended. Media contacted artists from around the world contracted and accommodation organised. So who is Alfredo Oyaguez? The Director since 2004.
I have known him for some years and his energy, enthusiasm and choice of artists always amazes me as he is a family man, with a young daughter and he travels to play the piano, judge a music competition in Europe and beyond and also plays the piano on some high-class cruise ships having travelled to more Countries than many travel writers. Shortly another trip on a small cruise ship beckons to the Arctic which Alfredo seems to love although somewhat cold for my liking. A book of his life is surely in his mind. Not only is Alfredo the Director of the Festival, but he is also the Head of the Conducting programme and the Orchestra programme at the “ Conservatory Superior de las Islas Baleares” conducting regularly both the Symphony and the Chamber Orchestra. A man of many talents and a wonderful pianist.
I have heard many stories, one of which was when he was playing piano in an upmarket restaurant in LA when approached later by a lady who said he was a master on the piano. An invite to Mallorca was offered and the lady turned out to be the first wife of Michael Douglas. Alfredo thanked her and later decided to take up the invitation and was a guest at the estate S’ Estaca. One week passed but “No” he must stay longer and so one week became one month with many famous actors and artists visiting. What luck playing that evening in LA and what a story for his future book. So many stories to tell of his adventures to S. America, the Arctic and of being a jury member at so many competitions. This plus teaching and arranging the Festival, plus performing himself. I could not do it but his love of music, travel and of finding new talent shines through and long may that continue.
Alfredo Oyaguez was a graduate of Yale University in the USA and he earned a Master of Music degree. The beginning of what is becoming a career to be proud of. He also completed a Master of Music degree in conducting with the famous Professor Heiichiro Ohyama and Piano Performance with Professor Paul Berkowitz at the University of California, Santa Barbara ( UCSB) Also studying piano with the well-known Boris Berman so Alfredo’s credentials cannot be better.
At UCSB Alfredo was the Associate Conductor and General Manager of the Symphony orchestra and opera theatre, lecturer for the Conducting Department of music and five years was spent at the University. Although teaching, Alfredo also produced the festival “El Sonido Real” featuring the music of contemporary Spanish composers and the prominent Catalonian composer Joan Guinjaon. The list goes on but although the USA played a major part in his life Alfredo is Spanish. He also graduated from the Madrid Royal Conservatory with a High degree in Music and the “Piano Professor Diploma”. Spain was left as Alfredo continued postgraduate studies at the “ Frederic Chopin Music Academy Warsaw and at the “Prague Fine Arts Academy”
Alfredo has performed all over the World and to be fair there are a few Countries that he has not performed in or visited. He is also a regular jury member of the “Amadeo International Piano Competition” in Aachen and the Geilenkirchen “Euroregio Piano Award” in Germany. A career that knows no bounds and Mallorca should be proud to have Alfredo as the Director of the Festival. Performing at venues at Carnegie Hall in NYC, in Siena, Italy, Denmark, Albania, the Annenberg theatre in Palm Springs, Jacksonville, the Promenade Centre in Singapore and the concert celebrating the 250th year of Mozart’s birth in Deia. The list goes on and so does Alfredo as he has no plans to stop. The Festival for 2024 will continue, I believe even bigger than this year, his travels around the world, the concerts, the jury requests and all this with an understanding Spanish wife who herself is a master of the Cello. A daughter also who I am sure will follow in the footsteps of her parents in the future.
The Festival and not only that, as over the next few years four new recordings will be released featuring in collaboration with the American Cellist Andrew Smith and Russian violinist Mikhall Zemtsov on a CD dedicated to the music of Spanish composers to be released by DELOS records so watch this space as they say. Upcoming engagements to the USA are planned and a seven-tour coast-to-coast USA concert programme is taking in Alaska, then Europe and New Zealand before a 2-month tour of concerts in Africa. I thought I was busy! A little about Alfredo Oyaguez, a man of talent that is bringing us the International Music Festival of Deia. I am sure you can find out more about Alfredo online but Celebrity Mallorca magazine will bring you articles on concerts during the season and for more on the Festival please visit www.dimf.com for all the details of the season’s concerts. A huge thank you to Alfredo for sharing some of his history. Please do visit us at www.celebritymallorca.es for our new monthly digital issue, online articles and do subscribe free to our newsletter. Celebrity magazine strives to bring you articles of interest, local news, and do please look at advertising with Mallorca’s number one magazine. We welcome your ideas, feedback and contact.
David Whitney