ITTA BENA, Miss. — Mississippi Valley State University Assistant Professor of Piano Alessandro Fonseca will present his first faculty piano recital at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, in Walter Roberts Auditorium in the H.G. Carpenter Building.
The recital will feature nearly three centuries of keyboard music, with works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt, Franz Schubert, Frédéric Chopin, Claude Debussy and Sergei Rachmaninoff.
At the center of the program will be Liszt’s “Sonata in B Minor,” considered one of the landmarks of the Romantic piano repertoire. The program will also include Bach’s “Prelude and Fugue in C Minor” from “The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II,” Schubert’s “Impromptu in C Minor,” Chopin’s “Scherzo No. 4,” selected preludes by Debussy and works by Rachmaninoff.
“Audiences can expect a program that reflects several different sides of the piano repertoire, from the clarity, counterpoint and structure of Bach to the virtuosity and expressive intensity of composers such as Liszt, Chopin, Debussy and Rachmaninoff,” Fonseca said.
Fonseca said Liszt and Rachmaninoff are among his favorite composers and have played an important role in his life as a pianist.
“Liszt’s ‘Sonata in B Minor’ is one of the great monuments of the piano repertoire — not only because of its scale, lasting approximately 30 minutes, or its extraordinary technical demands, but because of the profound emotional and spiritual journey that unfolds throughout the work,” he said.
The recital represents both continuity and growth in Fonseca’s career. Some selections have been part of his repertoire for many years, while others are more recent additions.
“It is especially meaningful to present this program as my first faculty recital at Mississippi Valley State University,” Fonseca said. “For me, performing is also an extension of teaching. Students benefit from seeing their professors actively engaged in the same artistic discipline, preparation and professional standards that we ask them to develop themselves.”
An active soloist, chamber musician, educator and orchestral pianist, Fonseca has performed throughout the United States, Brazil and internationally. His recent orchestral appearances include George Gershwin’s “Second Rhapsody” and “I Got Rhythm Variations” with the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra.
His previous concerto performances include Beethoven’s “Emperor Concerto,” Grieg’s “Piano Concerto in A Minor,” Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Khachaturian’s “Piano Concerto.”
Fonseca won the University of Oregon Concerto Competition and received first place in the Vienna Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition. He also received second prize in the professional category of the Medici International Music Competition.
Earlier this summer, Fonseca returned to his native Brazil, where he performed during the Ouro Branco Music Festival and led a master class for participating pianists. He also presented a master class at Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, where he completed his undergraduate studies in piano performance.
Following his MVSU recital, Fonseca will present a guest recital and piano master class Sept. 22 at Nicholls State University in Louisiana. He said such appearances allow him to represent MVSU while creating professional and educational connections that can benefit students.
“I want my students to understand that being a musician is a lifelong process of growth, discipline, curiosity and artistic development,” Fonseca said.
Fonseca earned his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in piano performance from the University of Oregon. He said joining the MVSU faculty has been an exciting new chapter in his career.
“One aspect of MVSU that has made me feel particularly connected to the university is the genuine care I have seen for our students and their progress,” Fonseca said. “There is a shared desire to see our students succeed, and there is a great deal of work and dedication behind that goal.”
The recital will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, in Walter Roberts Auditorium.