NATCHITOCHES — Pianist Manuel Matarrita will present a recital on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 5:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. The concert is part of the Louisiana Piano Series International. Tickets are $15. Northwestern State University, BPCC@NSU and Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts students are admitted free with a current student I.D. A livestream will be available at capa.nsula.edu/livestream. Northwestern State Assistant Professor of Piano Dr. John Price and Associate Professor of Piano Dr. Francis Yang are co-directors of the of the Louisiana Piano Series International.
Matarrita will play one of his compositions along with works by Haydn, John Field, Chopin, Teresa Carreno, Robert Nathaniel Dett, Ernesto Lecuona and Edla Pulgar Vidal.
Matarrita is acclaimed for the versatility in his work as a musician and artist. He is active as a soloist, collaborating musician, teacher, artistic promoter, composer and researcher. Matarrita was part of the 2022 cohort of The Global Leaders Program, a professional certification in social entrepreneurship, cultural management and educational leadership.
Matarrita is a professor in the School of Music; associate dean of the Schools of Arts and director of the Arts Graduate Program of the University of Costa Rica. He is founding director of the “Encuentro de Pianistas Costa Rica,” an annual event held in San José, Costa Rica, since 2014. Matarrita was president of the WPTA-COSTA RICA (World Piano Teachers Association) from 2017 to 2021. He holds degrees from the University of Costa Rica, the University of New Orleans and Louisiana State University.
His special interest in the Costa Rican and Ibero-American repertoire has been reflected in the publication of the book “Canciones populares costarricenses” as well as in the recordings “Una milpa y buenos güeyes”, “Confidencias,” “Evocación,” “Flores del corazón” and “Añoranzas” and recently “Retratos” with trumpeter Juan Carlos Meza, “Aires de Navidad,” “Meditaciones y arrullos” (works by Costa Rican women composers) and “Piano mestizo.”
Matarrita’s original compositions seek to incorporate Latin American imaginary. His performances have taken him to the most important venues in Costa Rica, as well as on other stages throughout the Central American isthmus, the United States, the Caribbean, South America, and Europe. Among the awards he received are the National Music Prize of Costa Rica in 2012, 2015 and 2021, first prize in the WPTA-Argentina Piano Composition Competition in 2018 and the nomination for the ACAM Awards 2021 in the instrumental category.
