José Ramón Méndez is one of the most exciting Spanish pianists of today. Méndez received his first music instruction from his father and by the age of seven was already performing on Spanish television and radio stations. He made his solo debut at the age of eleven at the Oviedo Philharmonic Society in Oviedo Spain the youngest performer ever to do so in the history of the society. He first gained international recognition when he performed Liszt’s first piano concerto under the direction of Sergiu Commissiona at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Since then he has concertized extensively in his native Spain the United States Cuba Italy England Portugal Holland and Japan to great acclaim. With his poetry intellect and masterful technique he has been praised by critics and celebrated by audiences around the world. Recent performances include Chopin’s first piano concerto with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra and Manuel de Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain with the Nittany Valley Symphony as well as numerous solo and chamber music performances in the United States Europe and Asia.
His playing has been featured on WQXR’s “Performance Today” and on Classical KMFA. He has been a guest performer at many music festivals including Caramoor Festival Barge Music Series Festival Internacional de Piano de las Islas Canarias Music at Penns Woods Amalfi Coast International Music Festival “Tocando el Cielo” Musica en Compostela the Stony Brook International Piano Festival and the Santander International Music Festival to name a few. As a chamber musician Méndez has collaborated with such distinguished artists as Karl Leister, Itzhak Perlman, Michael Tree, Pascual Martinez-Nieto and Pinchas Zukerman.
At the age of 18 Méndez’s success brought him to the United States where he began his studies at Manhattan School of Music in New York City. He completed his Bachelors Masters and Doctorate degrees there under the tutelage of Solomon Mikowsky Byron Janis and Miyoko Lotto. During his studies in New York he won top prizes in many international competitions including the Pilar Bayona International Piano Competition the Hilton Head Island International Piano Competition the Frederick Chopin Competition in New York and the Hermanos Guerrero International Piano Competition among others.
Méndez’s professional teaching career began in 1996 when he was invited to teach master classes at the Gijon School of Music. Since then he has given master classes in numerous cities in Spain including Lugo Aviles Valencia Gijon Oviedo Santiago de Compostela and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria as well as in the United States at top music schools such as Oberlin Conservatory Northwestern University University of Michigan and Columbus State University. Méndez also taught as assistant teacher to Miyoko Lotto at the Perlman Music Program a program for gifted young musicians founded by the world famous violinist Itzhak Perlman.
Currently in the summers he is the Artistic Director and on the faculty of the Gijon International Piano Festival in Gijon Spain as well as frequently being invited to perform and teach at various festivals such as Atlantic Music Festival Palmetto International Piano Festival Porto Pianofest Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival and Adamant Music Festival among others. Formerly on the piano faculty at University of Texas at Austin New York University Pennsylvania State University and Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music he has recently joined the faculty at Oberlin Conservatory as Associate Professor of Piano effective fall 2024. José Ramón Méndez is a Yamaha Artist.