My artistry, I was very privileged, very lucky
to have had the last, I guess, part of the 19th,
20th century tradition. When I was born, it was
a time that Pablo Casals was in the island and
he brought that, you know, his own tradition.
Some of my teachers had studied in Europe. before
the Second World War. I was born when Spanish,
Spain was still dominant. Puerto Rico was a colony
of Spain. And so that root of Spanish was always
present in my family. Join us for a rich and
inspiring episode featuring José Ramos Santana,
Steinway artist and one of the foremost interpreters
of Spanish and Latin American piano music. José
reflects on how his Puerto Rican roots, mentorship
under Alicia de la Rocha, and love for Spanish
composers shaped his artistry, while spotlighting
the powerful piano works of Puerto Rican composers.
The Spanish music was always a very strong kind
of definition in my upbringing. Therefore, I
think that I, and I loved it, so I think that
my mission is to continue that with that. old
tradition and of course later on I met Alicia
de la Rocha and the Spain culture and the Spanish
tradition in me was deeply rooted and so I feel
that you know I'm a conduit of for the new generation
from this point of view my mission is also to
educate young generations of pianists so I think
that this is what I want to make sure that I
establish as my legacy and as my mission. Again,
I've been very fortunate and I'm very thankful
for life. I've had great teachers in my background
from Puerto Rico to the end of my studies. They
all carry a tradition that is lost. I am a link
to that old tradition of artistry in the piano.
Tune in Tuesday, April 8th at 8 p .m. Eastern
Time on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.
For our paid subscribers, enjoy exclusive early
access to this episode on Substack on April 7th
at 8 p .m. Eastern Time, one day before the official
release of this episode. Do not miss the celebration
of Spanish and Latin American heritage, artistry,
and expression.