Rafael Orozco

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Rafael Orozco (rarely, Rafael Orozco Flores; very rarely, Orozco Flores Rafael) (24 January 1946, Córdoba, Spain - 25 April 1996) was a Spanish classical pianist. Orozco is acclaimed as one of the great Spanish concert pianists.^[1]

Rafael Orozco came from a musical family and studied with José Cubiles^[2] and Alexis Weissenberg.^[3] His professional career began after he won first prize in the 1966 Leeds International Piano Competition in the UK. His magnificent interpretations were recognized by musical personages such as Herbert von Karajan, Carlo Maria Giulini and Daniel Barenboim.^{[citation needed]}

His large repertoire included works by Franz Liszt, Franz Schubert, Manuel de Falla, Sergei Rachmaninov and Isaac Albéniz. He gave recitals on five continents and participated as soloist with the world's great orchestras, including Cleveland, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Berlin, Vienna, Paris, and London. Orozco also participated in music festivals at Osaka, Praga, Berlin, Santander, Edinburg, Spoletto, and Aldeburgh.

In 1986, Córdoba awarded Orozco the Gold Medal of the city and the title of Hijo Predilecto (Favourite Son).^[2]

The Conservatorio Superior de Música Rafael Orozco in Córdoba is named in his honour.^[4]

[edit] References

^ H&B Recordings commentary on 2005 re-issue of earlier RTVE Classics recording. "Grandes Pianistas Españoles - Rafael Orozco." (html). “The premature death of Rafael Orozco, a pianist who was at the pinnacle of the piano world and the height of his career, was a major blow to the world of classical music. He left a small but stunning legacy of commercial recordings, yet this newly released recording from the RTVE shows him to be an even more supercharged player when before a live audience.”
^ ^a ^b Juan Miguel Moreno Calderón, Director del Conservatorio Superior de Música Rafael Orozco. "Diez Años sin Rafael Orozco (Ten Years without Rafael Orozco)" (html), Córdoba (Diario Córdoba), 25 April 2006.
^ Peter Bithell. "Obituary: Rafael Orozco." (html), The Independent (abstract on highbeam.com), 2 May 1996.
^ Conservatorio Superior de Música Rafael Orozco. (Rafael Orozco High Conservatory of Music)