Press Reviews | Luis Parés

"No doubt the main draw for many of the RCM Sinfonietta concert was the opportunity to hear the Venezuelan pianist Luis Parés. His account of Beethoven's First Concerto evinced an undoubted command of the keyboard, and his agility in the visceral passagework of the outer movements was matched by some exquisite playing in the Largo".

Richard Whitehouse | Classical Source www.classicalsource.com

"Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini was the second item, in which the orchestra was joined by the Venezuelan-Italian pianist Luis Parés, a very gifted young artist who gave a scintillating account of this wonderful score."

Robert Matthew-Walker | Musical Opinion

"On a balmy mid-summer evening the beautiful surroundings of St Andrew's Church in Lyddington were ideal for enjoying a stimulating and talented performance by the young Venezuelan/Italian pianist, Luis Pares.

Despite a range of other events for the local festivals in Uppingham and Oakham, the church was full for this superb performance.

Luis Pares started the concert with a lesser-known sonata by Alban Berg, who had been a pupil of Schoenberg at the beginning of the 20th century.

This poetic though complex sonata is written in a single movement and the audience became immediately aware of Pares' talent and dexterity.

This was followed by a fantasy by Franz Schubert, based on the theme of the folk song 'The Wanderer'. The poetic and tuneful melody recurs throughout the piece, which was delivered with sensitivity and precision, rising to an awe-inspiring climax at the end.

The second half of the concert was given over to Johannes Brahms' Piano Sonata No 3 in F minor, which is a technically challenging and energetic composition and which was competently delivered by Pares, demonstrating without doubt the outstanding ability of this talented young player."

Jenny Pearce | Stamford Mercury www.stamfordmercury.co.uk

"Few interpreters achieve that magical unfolding in which, without stopping being themselves, they become suitable means – or mediums – for the music they play.  Young Venezuelan/Italian pianist Luis Parés demonstrated in his recital of Friday 4th at the Victor E. Clarke Hall of the University of Miami , that he possesses not only an impeccable technique but also complete versatility which enables him to move from classical to modern style, and even traditional music, with equal display of authenticity.

Both smiling and stern, this young musician showed the same control and commitment in Beethoven’s Sonata in A Op. 101, that opened the recital, and the throbbing Ginastera’s dances that closed it.  Parés always plays with the soul in his fingers.

With Beethoven he displayed maturity surprising for his young age.  This sonata places emphasis on the intimate, the quiet - on that that only music can say. Even the active moments and the insinuatingly humorous were not overlooked by Parés; passages demanding from the interpreter introspection, control and a vast breath – an achievement very unusual in someone so young.  With Liszt – second offer of the night – the descriptive beauties of Les Jeux d’eaux a la Villa d’Este and the tempestuous Vallee d’Obermann showed a more fiery and daring Pares, and gave the Hungarian composer his just place.

The second half started with Debussy’s Estampes.  In this chromatic language of vast dissonant games, we saw Parés equally in control regardless of the difficulties and exotic evocations.  Likewise was his version of the complex Valses nobles y sentimentales by Ravel, where extreme rhythms are combined with passages of delicate introspection.  To end the recital, Pares performed Ginastera’s three dances ( del viejo boyero, de la moza donosa, del gaucho matrero) with fervent vitality and sharp chords, all similarly hot-tempered and demanding.  The standing-ovation was long and the pianist played the famous Joropo by Moises Moleiro. Equally the audience were left astonished.  Afterwards, in a more reflective note, a last encore, Adios a Cuba , by Ignacio Cervantes.

Pares is without doubt a pianist that commands all the affective range of his instrument and will soon give us much to talk about in world stages."

Daniel Fernández | El Nuevo Herald, Miami

"Young Venezuelan pianist Luis Pares lived up to his glowing reputation when he entranced the audience at Boston Orchestra's spring concert with his interpretation of Schumann's Piano Concerto in A Minor at the Sam Newsom Music Centre. Luis handled the technical difficulties with consummate ease and the beautiful melodies stood out like rays of light.

There have been many outstanding soloists in the orchestra's concerts over the years but the opinion of its seasoned players was that this performance stood comparison with the best."

Peter Flynn | Boston Standard, Lincolnshire.

"Pianist Luis Parés made her [violinist Katia Novell] fly with an impeccable and sensitive accompaniment, careful to every single detail."

X. Chavarria | Catalan Musical Magazine No. 255

"Luis Parés is a remarkable young Venezuelan pianist, who at present is based in London . As a prize winner of many competitions, he has increasingly attracted public attention. His recent performances have also garnered critical praise, so it was with great expectation he was received by a responsive audience at the Bolivar Hall, London on Friday evening 15 September.

Playing a mostly Latin American music programme, including some rarities, Luis Parés opened and closed with the Festival composer, Alberto Ginastera. Written in 1946, The Creole Dance Suite is a work of the composer's early maturity… Luis Parés created a superb dynamic between moments of tenderness and subtlety, with those of brash gaucho-inspired vigour. His tone was warm and with a responsive approach to the ever-changing moods of the piece, he gave a satisfying and envigorating performance.

Modesta Bor is a highly respected Venezuelan composer, who is now in her nineties. Four Fugues were written 1973-4 and are no mere academic exercises, but vigorous studies, with folk-like resonances. Luis Parés' realisation of them was superb. His playing had great character and physically, tremendous agility, yet he never overstated the music, so that the themes and their development could be clearly followed. We should hear more of this interesting composer.

The first part ended with music… by Carlos Guastavino. The Ten Argentine Cantilenas of 1956-8, is arguably the composer's most important work… Luis Parés selected four well contrasted pieces from the set and was utterly responsive to the grace and charm of these delightful miniatures. His performance lost none of the innate intimacy of the pieces to which the audience responded with warm applause.

The second part opened with Los requiebros, from Enrique Granados' monumental cycle, Goyescas. Inspired by Goya's fifth 'caprichos'… the piece captures the moment when a maja flirts with a penniless sword-wearing man. Although pianists frequently play extracts from Goyescas it is very easy to miss the individuality and character of these compositions. Luis Parés quickly warmed to the work's charm and with an easy going light touch ably caught the quintessentially playful nature of the piece, with its frequent stopping, starting, and tempo changes.

Antonio Estévez was a Venezuelan composer, conductor and teacher of great repute. …today we heard… the delightful 17 Childhood Pieces… Once more Luis Parés displayed the confident mastery of his art as he avoided exaggeration and played the music as it was intended; he was clearly enjoying the occasion. In fact several of the individual pieces were quite mesmeric and I suppressed a strong urge to call out for the pianist to play them again! Performed so persuasively, the cycle deserves to be heard more often.

For the finale Luis Parés returned to Ginastera with his Argentine Dances… Rather than being given an outright virtuoso performance, they were played with great feeling and restraint, reserving the final burst to the end, creating a fitting climax to the piece and the occasion. Encore! The audience responded with raptuous applause. This thoughtful and focussed pianist then rounded the evening off with a delicious Cuban dance."

Ray Picot | ILAMS www.ilams.org.uk