Jorge Bolet in Latin America 1936-58

This list does not include Cuba. See also 1974-84

In El Caribe (12.11.1981), Lamela Geler stated that Jorge visited Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) in the early 1950s and played in the Teatro Olimpia, under the auspices of Sociedad Pro Arte.  Now he gives a second recital in Santo Domingo.  She goes on to state:

'Conocido mayormente en Europa y los Estados Unidos, ya que sus incursiones en América Latina han sido escasas, su repertorio está constituido por el total del material importante y difícil escrito para el piano.'

(Known mostly in Europe and the United States, since his forays into Latin America have been few, his repertoire is made up of all the important and difficult material written for the piano.)

1936-39

We are told of recitals/concerts in the Caribbean and in Mexico, Guatemala and the Dominican Republica Dominicana  during 1936-39

1946-47

After his discharge in September 1946, Bolet began to tour Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and South America.  

The tour began on 22 September 1946 and would keep him busy until mid-December. He had been flown back from Japan (where he had conducted The Mikado, August 1946) at the request of Columbia Concerts.  He also gave frequent performances in Havana - solo recitals and concertos with the Havana Philharmonic. ​ 

Musical America noted that Bolet was again on tour in Mexico and Cuba in February 1947.

​The Gazette and Daily (York, Pennsylvania, 2 June 1947) reported that Jorge had 'recently returned from a Latin American tour which took him as far south as Guatemala and included a 10-week radio engagement in Mexico City.'

29 January 1947

Teatro Capitolio [1925; on Calle Arzobispo Meriño], Ciudad Trujillo (present day Santo Domingo) Dominican Republic

Mozart's Fantasy & Fugue in C major, Beethoven's Les Adieux, Franck's Prelude Choral and Fugue, a suite (1940) by Norman dello Joio and his Prelude For A Young Musician (1944); Liszt's Mephisto Waltz.

[El Imparcial was a major daily newspaper active during the 1940s in Guatemala: British Library MFM.MF1384]

July 1948

Mexico?

The Sioux City Journal 26 September 1948 announces JB is back in the USA after tours of Canada and Latin America

11 March 1949

Teatro Degollado, Guadalajara, Mexico

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with Leslie Hodge and the Guadalajara SO.

27 April 1949

Havana

incl. Piano Sonata in A minor, D 784 (Schubert) and Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 8 in B♭ major, Op. 84.

We are told in a newspaper report of this concert that Jorge will make his first appearance in the Teatro de Bellas Artes, Mexico City.

On 4 December 1949, the San Angelo Standard (Texas) states that 'Bolet comes to San Angelo from a seven-month tour of Latin America and Canada.  He performed with Erich Kleiber and the Havana Philharmonic and presented 12 half-hour radio programs from Mexico City with the symphony under Jose Sabre Marroquin.'

1950

Fresh from an engagement (3 concerts) in Caracas, Venezuela - mostly likely in the Teatro Municipal, arranged by the Asociación Venezolana de Conciertos; he had flown back on February 14. Jorge performed Rachmaninoff 3 with Howard Mitchell in Constitution Hall, Washington DC on Wednesday 15 February 1950.  

October 1950

Teatro Colón, Bogotá (Colombia)?

7 November 1950

Cine Victoria/ Victoria Theater, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua (Mexico)

Recital

1953

Early in the new year, Bolet had been on tour in Central America/Caribbean.  A passenger manifest shows that he arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 7 February 1953 on Pan Am World Airways flight 204 from Caracas, Venezuela (Maiquetia, the airport south-east of the city); his ultimate destination was San Francisco.  

3 February 1953

Teatro Municipal, Caracas, Venezuela

Concerts in honour of José Martí (b.1853), who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the liberation of his country from Spain.

Beethoven [Andante favori ?], Brahms [Intermezzo Op.119 No. 3 in C , Rhapsody Op.118 No. 4 in E flat] , Liszt's Sonata & Mephisto Waltz, Chopin [7 Preludes & Ballade No. 3 in. A flat] and Rachmaninoff

6 February 1953

Teatro Municipal, Caracas, Venezuela

Schumann, Concerto

Rachmaninoff, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela/ Ángel Sauce

1955

A report in The New York Times, 26 May, 1955 informs us that ‘Jorge Bolet, pianist, leaves today by air to play a series of eighteen concerts in Brazil and Argentina'.

30 May 1955: Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro

Recitals were then given in the Teatro Cultura Artistica, São Paulo on 31 May/1 June.   ​ Other destinations in Brazil included Porto Alegre.   

In Argentina, Jorge appeared first in Buenos Aires.  The Asociación Wagneriana had organised his recital at 9:45pm on Monday 6 June at the Teatro Broadway,

31 May/1 June 1955

Teatro Cultura Artistica, São Paulo (Brazil)

Other destinations in Brazil may have included Porto Alegre

6, 7 June 1955

Teatro Broadway, Avenida Corrientes, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Jorge added "Gato" (1940), a lively, syncopated dance by an Argentinian composer Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000) to his programme, for a bit of local colour.

The Latrobe Bulletin (3.10.1955) said that he played both orchestral and recital engagements.  Jorge may have performed in Córdoba and Rosario (El Círculo), the next two most populous cities in Argentina.  Other cities may have included: ​

San Miguel de Tucumán (Teatro General San Martín), Bahía Blanca (Teatro Municipal), Asociación Cultural de Bahía Blanca, Mendoza (Teatro Avenida [1926-1988]), La Plata (Teatro Argentino), Mar del Plata (Teatro Auditorio).

7 October 1958

Theatre of the University of Puerto Rico, San Juan PR.

Haydn (Sonata No.62 in E-flat major, Hob.XVI:52), Franck (Prélude, choral et fugue [1884]), Chopin (4 Scherzos).