JORGE MENDOZA

Cellist/Composer with a strong academic background including a Doctorate in Music (University of Texas at Austin, 1994),  as well as a professional career, all which is rapidly placing him among the top cellists in his country.  

Acclaimed by music critics as “.... owner of a profound sound, impeccable technique and excellent musicianship”, Jorge Mendoza has demonstrated to have a refined sense of the styles with great musical temperament, hailed by the press as an interpreter “....with great fidelity and virtuosity”, and with epithets such as “....the magic sound of his cello”, “the star of the night” and “the dramatic and sublime cello of Jorge Mendoza”.

He is currently Professor at the University of Guadalajara.    Has been Principal Cellist with several orchestras in Mexico (Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco, 1994-98) and in the U. S. A.  

Appearances as soloist with a number of orchestras, and as recitalist, his performances in the world of classical music are events which rise high expectations.

He has presented his original compositions in public forums, theaters, and concert halls, all around Mexico, Paraguay, California and Peru, with great acceptance of public and critics. He was chosen to close the Jazzeando Festival 2004, in Mexico City.

The article “MERGING LANES, Mexican jazz cellist Jorge Mendoza moves out and up” which included the reproduction of his piece Brisa de Vallarta, appeared in the prestigious STRINGS Magazine in the October 2004 issue.

MARITA ZIMMER

German pianist, residing in Mexico since 1987. Begun her piano studies at seven with Sigrid Zorn and Alex Blin in Mannheim. Prize winner as both, soloist and chamber music in several Youth Music Competitions in Germany. First Prize winner of the 1976 National Trio Competition performing at the Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall. The same year begins advance studies with Conrad Richter and later with Fany Solter at the Music School of Karlsruhe, where she eventually bacame Piano Professor from 1984 to 1986.

Has participated in several piano performance courses with V. Margulis, N. Magaloff, J. Uhde, Alla Von Buch  y Zeeger Vandersteen (Lied accompaniment), and also several national and international chamber music courses. She has accompanied a large number of instrumentalists, among others, Lisa Ruoho (flute), Maripina Paulella (flute), Julio Vázquez (Oboe), Charles Nath (clarinet), tenor Jorge Taddeo (performing among others at the Palacio Nacional de Bellas Artes in Mexico City), and the German cellist Christiane Rust (Switzerland, 1990). Since 1995 she is a memeber of the group Concertante, with Jorge Taddeo and choreographer-dancer Lucy Arce.

Professor at the University of Guadalajara´s Music Department since 2003. Her prefered fields are piano performance teaching, chamber music and piano accompaniment for singers and instrumentalists.