Rodriguez, Santiago
Rodriguez, Santiago
Rodriguez, Santiago , talented Cuban-American pianist; b. Cardenas, Feb. 16, 1952. He settled in the U.S. when he was 8 and pursued training in New Orleans, at the Univ. of Tex., and at the Juilliard School in N.Y. He made his debut at age 9 with the New Orleans Phil.; in 1975 he won 1st prize at the Univ. of Md. Piano Competition, and in 1981 shared 2nd prize at the Van Cliburn Piano Competition. In 1982 he was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and in 1986 was honored as the first recipient of the Shura Cherkassky Recital Award of N.Y.’s 92nd St. Y. Rodriguez has appeared widely as a soloist with orchs. and as a recitalist, both in the U.S. and abroad. He also taught at the Univ. of Md. at Coll. Park. He is a versatile virtuoso whose expansive and intriguing repertoire includes not only standard works but works by Busoni, Mrs. H.H.A. Beach, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Hanson, Ginastera, Shchedrin, and others.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire