Bowdoin's music department kicks off its concert season with a performance by one of its own tomorrow. George Lopez, a renowned pianist who recently joined the applied music faculty, will get a chance to show off his classical piano skills to the community.
Lopez is known across the globe for winning several international competitions, including the Xavier Montsalvatge Competition for 20th Century Piano Music in Barcelona, and has performed in Europe, South America and Japan as recitalist, soloist with an orchestra, and collaborator. Closer to home, he has taught piano at Philips Exeter Academy since 1999 and has performed regularly with the local community orchestra, the Mid-Coast Symphony, in addition to several others.
Though the Brooklyn-born musician, who was raised in Belize by Mayan parents, did not begin to play piano until the age of 11, he has passionately studied, performed, and taught music ever since. In his new position, Lopez will bring that passion to Bowdoin; he began teaching on Wednesday.
Lopez will perform 24 études, from Fréderic Chopin's Opus 10 and Opus 25 for an estimated 90-minute concert at 3 p.m. Saturday in Studzinski Recital Hall.