Mission


South Florida Friends of Classical Music is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization. Through the creation of the Teresa Carreño International Piano Competition the Organization aims to:

About the Competition


The Teresa Carreño International Master Piano Competition has it all! Hence the name 'Master' perfectly matches its name. While most piano competitions in the world concentrate on Western European music literature, the Master Piano Competition tries to fill this gap by making all contestants perform a considerable portion of their repertoire by Ibero-American composers, plus an optional composition by Teresa Carreño. Semifinal and Final rounds include performances of a String Piano Quintet with an acclaimed String Quartet, and a solo Piano Concerto with Symphony Orchestra from the Western piano literature.

The Competition disseminates classical music worldwide, as well as launches and nurtures young artists' careers through the triennial Competition, ensuing international concert tours of its medalists. By making the Competition available in its entirety on the internet, the Organization extends its outreach to viewers/listeners in every corner of the globe. The Piano Competition is open to pianists of all nationalities between the ages of 18 and 32 and lasts for one week of activities that include concerts, educational masterclasses, and the contest. Events are free and open to the public.

The Greater Miami area is a vibrant and exciting multi-cultural hub and offers a great environment for our competitors to socialize and learn in the company of other world class pianists. Local college and pre-college students will have the opportunity to hear the competitors and play in masterclasses for the renowned international jury/teachers/performers.

The Competition is organized by South Florida Friends of Classical Music, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that encourages and supports performances of classical music in South Florida. For more info about the organization, please visit the website here.

About Teresa Carreño


Teresa Carreño

Teresa Carreño (Caracas 1853- New York 1917), a star of the piano and in life, came from a distinguished Venezuelan family, proudly connected to Simon Bolivar. She was showered with praise from music critics and won the admiration of the greatest musicians of the time, including Rossini, Liszt, Grieg, Gounod and Rubinstein. Carreño was born in Caracas, Venezuela on December 22, 1853, was considered the best pianist of her time and lived most of her life in Europe and United States. Her virtuoso piano technique and strength earned her the titles, both "The Empress of the Keyboard" and "The Walküre of the Keyboard." She held control over romantic pianism for nearly 40 years and her life was peppered with great triumphs and tragic setbacks. Hans von Bulow called her “The most interesting pianist of the present.”

Harold Schonberg wrote: “The cyclonic Carreño had overpowering personality, overpowering talent, overpowering physical strength, and overpowering technique. And on top of that, she was one of the most beautiful women of her time, in an Amazonian sort of way.” When she was eight years old she was taken to New York to study with Gottschalk and made her New York debut in 1862 at the age of 9 at the Irving Hall. She played for President Lincoln and his family in 1863; she also studied in Paris with Mathias and Anton Rubinstein where she impressed Rossini and Liszt (Patti and Rossini wanted to make a singer out of her). When Liszt offered her lessons, for unknown reasons she refused to follow him to Rome when she was thirteen. She dared to compose in an era that was outwardly intolerant of women composers. She spent two years in Venezuela organizing and conducting an opera company. If singers were not available or became ill, Carreño went on stage and sang. If conductors did not show up or walked out, Carreño conducted. Teresa Carreño’s temper triggers her staggering virtuosity in her music and her private life that was as tempestuous as her playing. Her lifestyle that included no less than four husbands (the third being the esteemed Scottish-born pianist Eugen d'Albert and the fourth, the brother of her second husband, Arturo Tagliapietra) it created something of a scandal all over Europe.

Her career was particularly successful in Germany where she lived and taught for over thirty years. Throughout her life Carreño was recognized as a pianist, composer, conductor, and singer. She wrote many compositions for piano and one String Quartet in B minor. One of her earliest compositions was also written at the age of eight and was dedicated to her mentor Louis Moreau Gottschalk. She composed up to 70 works for the piano most of which were written and published in Paris when she was only a teenager. Carreño used to include some of them in her own concert programs or as encores, especially Mi Teresita Waltz (dedicated to her daughter). This piece was published a great number of times in Europe and in the USA. She was the cherished mentor of several outstanding talents including Edward MacDowell. In her later years, she was the queen of pianists and considered the equal of any male or female. Unfortunately, there are no recordings from Carreño, she made some piano rolls, but they give no idea of what she must have been capable of.

La Corbeille de Fleurs Op.9; the Ballade Op.15; the Mazurka de Salon Op.30 and Le Printemps Op.35 are examples of the great Romantic tradition where the highly virtuosic effects mix with deep poetic lines. Then, there are more evocative and intimate pieces linked to different moments of her life such as the two elegies, Partie and Plainte, which she composed on the death of her mother when Teresa was fourteen years old; the tender Lullaby dedicated to her father and first teacher, Manuel Antonio Carreño. The reflective Un rêve en mer and a peaceful Barcarolle (Venise) contrast sharply with of a more joyful character of pieces such as Un bal en rêve -which presents a narrative thread that includes a Venezuelan Merengue in its middle section- and the concert studies Une revue à Prague, La Fausse Note and the Intermezzo.

Her last piano work, the Vals Gayo, composed in Sydney in 1910, is a more complex piece in terms of its harmonic texture and seems to draw from the French Impressionism. Carreño died in New York on June 12, 1917, and her ashes were sent to Caracas, Venezuela in 1938. Also in Caracas was held the “Teresa Carreño” Latin-American Piano Competition and in the same city is located the largest cultural complex of South America bearing her name.

Greater Miami and the Beaches


Miami

From its beautiful beaches to its unique multicultural neighborhoods and lively arts and nightlife scenes, Greater Miami and the Beaches offers a variety of experiences for everyone. Miami is an art lover’s paradise, home to cutting edge arts districts, internationally-acclaimed art shows, and countless galleries and museums. Enjoy live music, dance and theater performances in venues designed by world-renowned architects, or catch a film or festival while you visit. In Miami, there’s something beautiful around every corner.

A mosaic of cultures manifested through art, music, food and unique experience is what any visitor will find represented throughout Miami. The “305” (one of Miami’s many nicknames) has always been a leader in diversity due its strong population from so many ethnic backgrounds to include the Caribbean and Latin America. There are a multiplicity of things to do, places to go and memories waiting to be made in multicultural Miami.

Miami is a paradise of oceanfront cities, urban hubs, and charming villages. The III Competition will take place in Doral. Doral is commonly known for its green areas, golf courses and public parks with first class facilities, currently it has six parks that offer services for its residents of all ages, including: community center, artificial sports fields, basketball courts , tennis courts, volleyball, bicycles, jogging paths, exercise stations, batting courts, areas for pets, picnic tables, among other facilities. It is the headquarters of many companies that are part of the Fortune 500 Companies (Trump Golf Club) and seats of government. The II Competition took place in Coral Gables. Known as The City Beautiful, Coral Gables stands out as a planned community that blends color, details, and the Mediterranean Revival architectural style. Coral Gables, The City Beautiful, stands out as a rare pearl in South Florida. The modern boutiques and foodie-approved restaurant scene may deceive you, but Coral Gables is one of South Florida’s oldest cities. The canopied streets, historic houses and stately gates are relics from when the city was founded in 1925 by George Merrick. What the area lacks in waterfront views (don’t worry, the Gables has a century-old, aquifer-fed pool), it makes up for in lush parks, swanky hotels and luxury shopping.

Miami Beach

The I Competition took place in Miami Beach. Miami Beach has it all. This beach destination has evolved into an urban metropolis with all the amenities of a beach-town and a big city, a thriving arts scene and a busy business center, the best hotels in the world are surrounded by natural wonderland with turquoise waters and skyscraper palms. Miami Beach has blossomed into a sophisticated community that’s full of visitors no matter the season.

South Beach is the Miami of postcards; the skyline of Ocean Drive has been featured on television what must be millions of times. If you're taking a break from the sun, check out one of the many museums, shops or historic buildings in the area. Take a stroll down Lincoln Road and head out to the beautiful Art Deco-Style Colony Theatre, located in Lincoln Rd., in the heart of South Beach.

Miami Beach is also home to the New World Symphony, established in 1987 under the artistic direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. In January 2011, the New World Symphony made a highly publicized move into the New World Center building designed by Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry. Miami Beach is everything you've heard about, but you have to see it for yourself. Stay in one of its boutique or throwback hotels – you'll also find some of Miami Beach's finest dining, nightlife, culture and spas here.

Port of Miami

The Port of Miami, styled as "PortMiami" is a major seaport located in Biscayne Bay at the mouth of the Miami River in Miami, Florida. PortMiami boasts the title "cruise capital of the world", and is the busiest cruise/passenger port in the world and one of the largest cargo ports in the United States. It accommodates major cruise lines such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Disney, and MSC, among others, and also serves as the homeport of one of the largest cruise ships in the world by gross tonnage, Symphony of the Seas. Over 5.5 million cruise passengers pass through the port each year.

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