Santos Ojeda (January 18, 1917 – May 27, 2004) was a Cuban-born 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 ...

and pedagogue.

Life and Studies

Ojeda was born in Caibarién in the province of Villa Clara,

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. He began studying piano at age 3 with his mother, Maria Luisa Valdes de Ojeda. His skills developed rapidly and he was discovered by conductor and composer

Alejandro García Caturla Alejandro García Caturla (7 March 1906 – 12 November 1940) was a Cuban composer of art music and creolized Cuban themes. Biography Caturla was born in the town of Remedios, Villa Clara, Cuba. With only sixteen years old, in 1922, he won a ...

, who accompanied a 15-year-old Ojeda for the premier in Cuba of Gershwin’s

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered i ...

. At age 17 he moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

to study with assistants to

Josef Lhévinne Josef Lhévinne (13 December 18742 December 1944) was a Russian pianist and piano teacher. Lhévinne wrote a short book in 1924 that is considered a classic: ''Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing''. Asked how to say his name, he told ''The ...

and

Rosina Lhévinne Rosina Lhévinne (née Bessie; March 29, 1880 – November 9, 1976) was a Russian pianist and famed pedagogue born in Kyiv, Russian Empire. Early life, education and family Rosina Bessie was the younger of two daughters of Maria (née Katz) and ...

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 elit ...

of Music, but was ultimately accepted directly, becoming the first ever foreign-born student admitted to Juilliard. Later he enlisted in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

to serve in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. After the end of WW II, he stayed in Europe for a time and advanced his studies with

Yves Nat Yves Philippe Avit Nat (29 December 1890 – 31 August 1956) was a French pianist and composer. Biography Nat was born in Béziers and showed an early aptitude for both piano and composition. By the age of seven he was allowed to improvise eac ...

of the

Paris Conservatoire The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

. With his return to New York City, he resumed his studies at Juilliard with

, ultimately graduating with honors with a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance followed by a Master’s degree. Later he received the Professional Diploma from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

Performances

His New York City debut was October 20, 1952, at Town Hall, where he would perform several times. Ojeda frequently toured the major centers of Europe, North and South America, as well as presented concerts in his homeland of Cuba. During one visit to Cuba he performed the Cuban premier of the

Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

Piano Concerto No.2 in C-minor, with the

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

Philharmonic Orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ...

under the direction of

Amadeo Roldán Amadeo Roldán y Gardes (Paris, 12 June 1900 – Havana, 7 March 1939) was a Cuban composer and violinist. Roldán was born in Paris to a Cuban mulatta and a Spanish father. It was his mother, the pianist Albertina Gardes, who initiated her ch ...

. Ojeda's repertoire was wide, encompassing not only the

Common practice period In European art music, the common-practice period is the era of the tonal system. Most of its features persisted from the mid-Baroque period through the Classical and Romantic periods, roughly from 1650 to 1900. There was much stylistic evoluti ...

, but also including major works of the 20th century and of contemporary composers, including Latin American composers such as

Ginastera Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentinian composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas. Biography Ginastera was born in Buen ...

. At his 4th Town Hall recital on December 20, 1969, he performed the New York City debut of Hugh Aitken’s ''Piano Fantasy'' (1966). He also performed at Lincoln Center (Alice Tully Hall).

Pedagogy

Ojeda taught at the Juilliard School (1955–1967), Columbia University (1957–1967) and then was appointed

Artist in Residence Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...

in 1967 at the College-Conservatory of Music at the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,0 ...

, where he would achieve full Professorship and finally retire in 1987. He was known to be an imaginative and enlightening clinician and had a reputation for sometimes inscrutable

similes A simile () is a figure of speech that directly ''compares'' two things. Similes differ from other metaphors by highlighting the similarities between two things using comparison words such as "like", "as", "so", or "than", while other metaphors cr ...

which nonetheless accomplished their purposes. For example, he might direct a player to “scoop it like you’re scooping ice cream,” or “play it like a drop of ink in a glass of milk,” or “play this like a wounded queen.” He trained many students who are performers and professors today, as any simple web search will reveal. “Aside from his natural ability for the piano and his perfect pitch, he was someone interested in art in general, whether in literature such as poetry and storytelling, or in painting, rarchitecture. … r. Ojedawas an aristocrat of the spirit; a very private and complex man. He had a great sense of humor, yet was very refined both as a teacher and in personal relationships.”

Final Years and Demise

In his final years Ojeda moved to Miami, Florida, to be close to family. He died at the age of 87 from complications of pneumonia at Hialeah Hospital.

References

* Communiqué of the Performing and Media Arts, CCM University of Cincinnati, Fall 2004, In Memoriam section, pg.26. * Obituary, The Enquirer (on-line edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer), June 4, 2004.” * Death Notice - Classified, The Miami Herald, June 20 and June 22, 2004 * University of Cincinnati Bulletin 1982-84, College-Conservatory of Music, page 69 * “Santos Ojeda, Pianist,” Promotional Material – Artist Mailing and Promotional Service, Personal Rep: Larry Rosen, 6072-A Glenway, Brookpark, Ohio 44142 * The New York Times: October 21, 1952; February 20, 1955; April 12, 1964; December 22, 1969. * University of Cincinnati News Record, Vol.56/No.25, February 24, 1969, (page 12) at http://digitalprojects.libraries.uc.edu/newsrecord/1969/1969_02_04.pdf * The Juilliard Review, Fall 1958. Faculty Activities (page 22) at http://www.juilliard.edu/libraryarchives/pdfs/review/jre_05_03.pdf * Photo with Rosina Lhévinne on page 270b of "A Century of Music-Making: The Lives of Josef and Rosina Lhévinne" by Robert K. Wallace, Indian University Press, 1976. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ojeda, Santos 1917 births 2004 deaths People from Caibarién Juilliard School faculty Cuban classical pianists 20th-century classical pianists Cuban emigrants to the United States