He is one of the leading figures on the instrument. He will perform a repertoire ranging from Bach to Chopin and Piazzolla. It will be on Saturday, April 11th at 8:30 pm.

March 17, 2026  1:56 PM

The renowned pianist Horacio Lavandera will present a new solo piano performance, “Star Wars: Piano and Classics,” on Saturday, April 11th at 8:30 p.m. at the Atlas Cultural Complex, Mitre 645. “Star Wars: Piano and Classics” is a celebration of the power of music to tell stories, transform emotions, and transcend borders, taking the audience on a unique journey through the styles and eras that have shaped the evolution of piano music. Tickets are now on sale.

In this program, the piano becomes a bridge between two worlds: that of classical music and that of film. “Star Wars: Piano and Classics” invites us on a musical journey that ranges from the emotional and technical depth of Johann Sebastian Bach to the epic and evocative melodies of John Williams, passing through the romantic intensity of Frédéric Chopin and the innovation of Astor Piazzolla and Osvaldo Golijov.

The first part of the concert immerses us in the world of Bach, whose masterpieces, such as the Chromatic Fantasy and the Goldberg Variations (BWV 988), reveal the extraordinary harmonic richness and structural brilliance that characterize the German composer. The Goldberg Variations are not only one of the most important compositions of Baroque music, but they were also popularized in the film The English Patient, where Bach’s powerful piano performance marks key moments in the film’s narrative. Bach’s music here invites us to experience the complexity and beauty of the Baroque, fertile ground for the deepest emotions.

In the second half, the piano becomes a vehicle for more contemporary expression. Frédéric Chopin, with his Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23, and Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31, takes us on an emotional journey full of contrasts, from intensity and melancholy to lyricism and breathtaking virtuosity. Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 was used in Roman Polanski’s famous film The Pianist, where its intensity and emotional depth accompany the protagonist’s struggle, making it one of the most representative pieces of contemporary cinema.

The program culminates with a tribute to film music, with a piano adaptation of John Williams’ iconic Star Wars Suite, a musical voyage to a galaxy far, far away. The energy and grandeur of cinematic compositions merge with the magic of piano performance, paving the way for the contemporary sound of Osvaldo Golijov, who collaborated with legendary director Francis Ford Coppola on *Youth Without Youth*. Golijov’s music, with its emotional power and contemporary texture, is presented in two powerful pieces: *Youth Without Youth* and *Levante*, immersing us in soundscapes brimming with emotion and modernity.

Tickets on sale:

https://centroticket.com.ar/Horacio-Lavandera-Presenta-CINE-AL-PIANO-en-Rosario/

Biographical Information

“Lavandera’s numerous pedal effects surprised and delighted; his enormous virtuosity was impressive, reminiscent of Maurizio Pollini (and he was at least as virtuosic as the revered Vladimir Horowitz).” This is how the German critic Thomas Ziegner wrote in the Schwäbisches Tageblatt about his performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata, Op. 106, and Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Klavierstück XI at a concert in Rottenburg am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg.

At the age of 16, Lavandera won the 3rd Umberto Micheli International Piano Competition, held at La Scala in Milan, and was awarded a prize by the Orchestra della Scala. Since then, he has performed on some of the most important stages in the Americas, Europe, and Japan, both in recitals and as a soloist with prestigious orchestras. He has performed in venues such as the Herkulessaal (Munich), the Berliner Philharmonie (Berlin), Radio France (Paris), Wigmore Hall (London), Jordan Hall (Boston), Carnegie Hall (New York), the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Rome), the Musikverein (Vienna), Hamarikyu Asahi Hall (Tokyo), the Teatro Real (Madrid), and the Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires), with prestigious orchestras including the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg, the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, the London Chamber Players, and the Orchestra of the Teatro Real, under the direction of Antonio Pappano, Benjamin Zander, and Franz-Paul Decker, among others.

He has been distinguished, among other awards, three times as “Best Instrumental Soloist” by the Argentine Association of Music Critics, and received the Karlheinz Stockhausen Prize and the “Primer Palau” in Barcelona.

Among his recordings as a solo pianist are: Spanish Composers of the Generation of ’51, sponsored by the Community of Madrid; the CD+DVD Argentine Composers, recorded by Sony Music; Chopin (EPSA Music); In London, recorded live at Wigmore Hall in London, which received the 2016 Gardel Award for Best Classical Music Album; and Imágenes – Dino Saluzzi (ECM Records). In 2016, the NIBIUS label released his CD Horacio Lavandera Plays Astor Piazzolla, winner of the Melómano de Oro award in October 2016. His CD Ludwig van Beethoven received the Gardel Award for Best Classical Music Album in 2019.

He is the fifth generation of a family of distinguished professional musicians. He began his studies at the age of two with his father, José María Lavandera. At the age of seven, he continued his studies with his great-aunt, Marta Freigido, who graduated with top honors from the Vicente Scaramuzza Conservatory. He furthered his studies with Antonio De Raco and, at 16, received a scholarship from CIDIM to work with Maurizio Pollini at the Accademia Chigiana di Siena (Italy). At 18, he received a scholarship from the Carolina Foundation to work with Josep Colom at the University of Alcalá de Henares (Spain). He complemented his piano training with private orchestral conducting lessons from Jorge Rotter, professor at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg, and with musical composition classes with Alberto Posadas (IRCAM).

Links:

www.horaciolavandera.com

youtube.com/horaciolavandera

facebook.com/horaciolavandera

instagram.com/horaciolavandera

La Capital