Douglas Riva is an American classical

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

Biography and career

Douglas Riva began studying piano and

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

at age nine. At age sixteen, he began his professional career as a

flautist The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

, being principal flautist of the El Paso Symphony. Later turning exclusively to the piano, Riva studied at the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

and

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

, studying with

Adele Marcus Adele Marcus (February 22, 1906 May 3, 1995) was an American pianist and instructor whose career was based at the Juilliard School in New York City. Life and career Marcus was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the youngest of 13 children of a rabbi ...

and

Eugene List Eugene List (July 6, 1918March 1, 1985) was an American concert pianist and teacher. Early life Eugene List was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He spent his formative years in Los Angeles, where his father Louis List (originally Lisnitzer) ...

. Receiving a grant from the Beebe Fund, Riva went to

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

in 1980, where he studied at the Academia Marshall, founded by

Enrique Granados Pantaleón Enrique Joaquín Granados y Campiña (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916), commonly known as Enric Granados in Catalan or Enrique Granados in Spanish, was a composer of classical music, and concert pianist from Catalonia, Spain. ...

. Riva has performed in such prestigious venues as the White House and Carnegie Hall, as well as for radio and television programs around the world. A specialist in the music of Granados, Riva is the Assistant Director of the 18-volume critical edition of the Complete Works for Piano of Enrique Granados, directed by

Alicia de Larrocha Alicia de Larrocha y de la Calle (23 May 192325 September 2009) was a Spanish pianist and composer. She was considered one of the great piano legends of the 20th century. Reuters called her "the greatest Spanish pianist in history", ''Time'' "o ...

and published by Editorial Boileau, Barcelona, 2001, which is the first complete catalog of the composer's works for piano. As a recording artist, Riva focuses on

Spanish music In Spain, music has a long history. It has played an important role in the development of Western music, and has greatly influenced Latin American music. Spanish music is often associated with traditional styles such as flamenco and classical ...

, and has begun a series of the complete piano works of Granados for the

Naxos Naxos (; el, Νάξος, ) is a Greek island and the largest of the Cyclades. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern times was one of the best abr ...

label.

References

External links

Riva's web site

Article about Riva and his recordings on the Naxos web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riva, Douglas Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American classical pianists Male classical pianists American male pianists Juilliard School alumni New York University alumni 21st-century classical pianists 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American pianists