As if it is not enough to maintain a website on Jorge Bolet, I've recently begun another on Italian legend Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli. It's an interesting experience to compare the research: on Jorge, there has been very little written, certainly no books; on the other there is a mass of material, but one has to distance oneself from the "cult". It's still work-in-progress but do take a look.

Sunday, 21 October 1956, Åmål in Västra Götaland County, Sweden.  Svenska Dagbladet says 'the famous American will visit the Music Circle of the School ( Läroverk ) here today'.  The same newspaper report on 31 December 1960 the following: 'Mr Bolet suddenly showed himself to be very familiar with Åmål. He simply loved the little town. A few years ago he went there to give a concert. He came a day early. Therefore no one was down to meet him at the railway station.  The place was deserted and cold.  But Mr Bolet had a name on a piece of paper in his pocket. He picked it up and called the person in question. There was cordial contact and a very pleasant evening. But that was not all. When Mr Bolet had given his concert and was on the train to Göteborg/Gothenburg, the conductor gave him a letter written in Swedish.  A fellow passenger translated it. It read:  "It is an honour for me to drive the train on which such a skilled pianist as you is a passenger.  Deeply moved, Mr Bolet hurried off to the train driver.  Yes, he had been to the concert and had had a very memorable evening. "We sealed our friendship with sign language and a big hug. You understand that I could not imagine greater success than to get in touch with such a magnificent man from the Swedish people through music. You must all be good musicians, you Swedes. Åmål is my Shangri-La. I sincerely hope to come back to that town once more in my life."'

9 December 1955, Copenhagen, small hall of the Odd Fellow Palace.  Berlingske Tidende , a Danish newspaper, first published on 3 January, reported: 'The Great Cuban. Jorge Bolet, who played Beethoven at the last Royal Chapel concert, is a piano virtuoso. This can be said without any hidden disdain, let alone indignation. The joy of effortless mastery of an instrument is an essential feature of all healthy musicality. And how could one reproach a musician for having created the means to express himself through the medium that is his own? Virtuosity is, to be sure, only form, but life does not exist without form. Nor is Bolet merely a stunning master of the piano. If he is an autocrat, he is also an enlightened autocrat. ( Er han enevældig, er han tillige en oplyst Enevoldshersker.)  His playing is extremely deliberate/thoughtful. One has the sense that he has subjected every little phrase to thorough consideration to arrive at the most pianistically effective interpretation.  Not that there is anything superficial about this Cuban's approach to music—on the contrary, one is at all times convinced of his absolute honesty. But his phrasing was, on the other hand, often executed—last night, for instance, in some Haydn variations and in Chopin’s B minor scherzo—with such delicate precision that one might have wished for a greater degree of spontaneity. Nevertheless, one listened with recognition and admiration to Jorge Bolet. He could play Haydn with intelligence and gentleness. But he could also—and especially—unfold in an always sonorous fortissimo, which made one regret that the palace's small hall was not the palace's grand hall. And even in the many thunderous passages, the music retained its transparency. You great Cuban, what a pianist you are!'

After his two month tour of Australia, Jorge gave a recital for the first time in Hong Kong, on 6 July 1965. 'Jorge Bolet - mark that name well.  Last evening in the City Hall Concert Hall, this American pianist treated a nearly full house to a display of fiery virtuosity which reached its climax in the second half with two Liszt works and I cannot recall its equal, at least in Hong Kong. ​ 'He chose to open his programme with one of the last of Haydn's sonatas in E flat major written, so Falber Ryan's the impeccable notes remind us, for a German female pianist whose playing had a masculine quality.  As Jorge Bolet himself has all the attributes of virile masculinity – he confesses that this brought him scant sympathy in the early stages of his career – his choice was not surprising. But like so many large men, he brought a delicacy of touch, which was noticeable from the start in the answering phrases in the introduction.  'In spite of fighting off an attack by an itinerant moth in the first movement of Beethoven's Appassionata , Mr Bolet, hardly faltered, and concluded the movement with all the dramatic intensity it demands. If there was a suspicion of thickness in the theme of the second movement, it was soon dispelled in the rising climax of the subsequent variations. Technical dexterity and expressive control marked the stormy final Allegro, enough to cause some members of the audience to demand to encore on the spot.' ​ In the Liszt B minor Sonata, the 'guest critic' said he/she saw why Bolet was famed as a Liszt player. 'I am not saying there were no inaccuracies, but I would not like to have to specify any single one – incredible finger work in both hands. The fast repeated notes in the fugue were crystal clear in all the voices, as were the octaves which concluded the prestissimo section.'  Jorge ended with the Mephisto Waltz. ( The South China Morning Post 7.7.65)

A summary of JB's four appearances with The Cleveland Orchestra. 14 November 1944, Civic Auditorium, Grand Rapids, Michigan.  This was Jorge's first appearance with The Cleveland Orchestra which was on tour (under French-American Vladimir Golschmann).   Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18.  In Paris, Golschmann had conducted performances at the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev.  He also premiered various workd: Le bœuf sur le toit , a ballet by Darius Milhaud, at the Comédie des Champs-Élysées, 1920; Pastorale d'été by Arthur Honegger, Salle Gaveau, 1921; and El retablo de Maese Pedro  by Manuel de Falla, at the palace of the Princesse de Polignac, 1923. 25 July 1951, Summer Prom, Public Auditorium [500, Lakeside Ave], Cleveland, Ohio, with the Cleveland Orchestra and Rudolph Ringwall: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major (Jorge also played Camargo Mozart Guarnieri,  Toada Triste and Lecuona's Afro-Cuban Dances ) April 1959, Akron Armory, Akron, Ohio: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major with Hungarian maestro George Szell and The Cleveland Orchestra .  Francis Crociata has said: '[Jorge] had only himself to blame when, engaged as a substitute for Claudio Arrau in Cleveland, his customary diplomatic tact deserted him at the worst possible moment by calling attention to a wrong note in George Szell’s score of the Liszt Second [actually No. 1] Concerto, this in front of his Cleveland Orchestra players. It pretty much assured any re-engagement for Bolet there would be secured only after the notoriously thin-skinned maestro’s demise.'  (This was in August 1978). Andria Hoy, archivist, has informed me:  'It appears that Jorge Bolet performed with the Orchestra several times, including on tour to Michigan and including the Liszt with Szell you mentioned. Strangely, he never performed in our concert hall, only downtown or at our summer home, Blossom Music Center.'  The concert was reviewed in the  Akron Beacon Journal , 8.4.59 with heading: 'Pianist, Orchestra, delight Audience'.  'Jorge Bolet, a tall, dark and handsome pianist from Cuba, stole the show from the orchestra in the season's final concert.  Looking at Bolet's powerful build', write Oscar Smith, 'one could imagine he would be as effective with the Cleveland Browns, reeling off 10 or 15 yards at a crack through the line as he was with the Cleveland Orchestra.   The amazing thing was not that he achieved tremendous power at the keyboard, but that he could suddenly turn off the thunder and play with a feather-like touch. How could those arms and shoulder be gentle?  At the end cheers and shrill whistles were part of the applause.'  'It is obvious that Szell has deep affection for this symphony by a fellow Czech...'  Oops! Friday 11 (and also Saturday 12 at 8:30pm) August 1978, Jorge with The Cleveland Orchestra under Jerzy Semkow performed Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat, Op.83 in the Blossom Music Centre, an outdoor amphitheatre at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio - the summer home of The Cleveland Orchestra.  Jorge had not played with this orchestra in 19 [?] years. Fortunately, there is a recording, especially welcome as this major concerto of his repertoire was never recorded commercially.  The Chronicle-Telegram Elyria proclaimed this as Bolet's début with the orchestra. Andria Hoy, archivist of The Cleveland Orchestra has told me: ' Strangely, he never performed in our concert hall, only downtown or at our summer home, Blossom Music Center.'

Santos Ojeda (January 18, 1917 – May 27, 2004) was a Cuban-born American classical pianist and pedagogue. His early years remind me of those of Jorge Bolet - note also enlistment in the U.S. Army - , but his name is new to me Ojeda was born in Caibarién in the province of Villa Clara, Cuba. 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, who accompanied a 15-year-old Ojeda for the premier in Cuba of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. At age 17 he moved to New York City to study with assistants to Josef Lhévinne and Rosina Lhévinne of The Juilliard School 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 to serve in World War II. After the end of WW II, he stayed in Europe for a time and advanced his studies with Yves Nat of the Paris Conservatoire. With his return to New York City, he resumed his studies at Juilliard with Rosina Lhévinne, 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.

A very incomplete list, which I've just started. Feel free to add - using the Contact page (I've excluded those students in masterclasses) Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington, Indiana Francisco Rennó (Venezuela) Gary Thor Wedow Curtis Institute, Philadelphia Meng-Chieh Liu (Kaohsiung, Taiwan) Ira Levin Ju Hee Suh (South Korea) Makoto Ueno (Japan) Anthony Padilla Graydon Goldsby Wonmi Kim (South Korea) Studied with JB (privately) Teresa Escandon Henry Lowinger Panayis Lyras, 1953- (Greece) A few from masterclasses Hélène Grimaud

My first thought was that Jorge Bolet was teaching a young John McEnroe, later an international tennis player! Does anyone know who the student actually is? (I think it's when JB was at Bloomington, Indiana (1968-77)

1 February 1982, Hamman Hall, Rice University, Houston, Texas. Fantasy in F-sharp minor, op. 28 / Felix Mendelssohn -- Fantasy in C major, op. 17 / Robert Schumann -- Five Lieder/ Franz Schubert ; transcribed by Franz Liszt -- Mephisto Waltz / Franz Liszt.   LINK to recording He played the same programme on 8 February 1982: Van Wezel Auditorium, Sarasota, Florida.  Recital includes Schumann's Fantasy , 5 Schubert/Liszt Lieder and the Mephisto  waltz. 'His fingers are made of steel but the tips have the Midas Touch - except that what he touches turns into liquid, not solid gold. It flows endlessly with a mellifluous shading from strength to gentleness.  Surprisingly, he is very undramatic himself.  No fuss, no feathers, and rarely a smile.' ​ It was in this month (and later, in September) that Bolet began recording for Decca the material that would constitute volume 1 of his Liszt series (Decca SXDL 7596 [LP]), issued in March 1983.    Producer: Peter Wadland 17-19 February, 1982 Kingsway Hall, LondonLiszt, Funérailles  S173/7 Hungarian Rhapsody S244/12 Rigoletto  - paraphrase de concert S434 Mephisto Waltz No.1 S514

I'd always been surprised not to find that Jorge had played in Montevideo, only a short hop across the water from Buenos Aires. I've now found two concerts: July 1979 and June 1982 La Semana de El Día N° 51 (29 December 1979), under the heading "Pianist of the Year (in recital)" reported: 'This North American pianist was a revelation, a giant of the keyboard, whom our audience watched in awe, in a unique, legendary Liszt recital on July 10 at the Teatro Solís. With superhuman strength, he broke two piano strings, and he's returning next year. Not to be missed.' Construction of the Teatro Solís, located in the historic centre of Montevideo, began in 1842—just 17 years after Uruguay's independence—and it was inaugurated in 1856. It is the oldest theatre in South America. It was named in memory and commemoration of the navigator Juan Díaz de Solís, the first European explorer to reach the Río de la Plata. Opinar  (1 July 1982) reports of a concert in Montevideo, Uruguay  (Saturday 12 June, in the Teatro Solís) with Brazilian conductor Isaac Karabtchewsky (born 1934) and the Sodre Symphony Orchestra, the national orchestra. 'The great Cuban-American pianist was at the second concert conducted by Karabtchewsky. He belongs to that category of pianists who continue the tradition of brilliant virtuosity. For this reason, he is considered a Liszt specialist, although in reality he is a first-class interpreter of different musical languages ​​and styles. He performed Concerto No. 2 and the Hungarian Fantasia for piano and orchestra, both Liszt compositions. Two unhappy works by the Hungarian, empty, repetitive, uninspired—except for some rich passages—but technically dazzling. Only Bolet's great skill allows one to listen to these works with any interest.'  Stravinsky' Rite of Spring  was the other work, and the reviewer was delighted with the conductor's handling of the orchestra in a work that had pervasively seemed 'impossible for our orchestra. Let him come back!' In  La Democracia (Montevideo), 16 June 1982, Paco Sánchez writes: In the first half, Cuban-American pianist Jorge Bolet managed—despite the unbearable works chosen—to demonstrate his mastery of the keyboard, overcoming some smudges and perhaps forgetfulness (?), and managing to elicit from that the piano of the orchestra (which many Uruguayan soloists fear) a clear, unaffected, and certainly much more energetic sound than that required, for example, in Concerto No. 2. I would say that, ultimately, the most accomplished moment was the slow section, in which the piano engages in a dialogue with the cello played by the solid Victor Addiego, which is also the only redeeming feature of this work. Despite Liszt's emphatic verbosity and the excessive fondness for affectation (especially in the Hungarian Fantasia), the conductor ensured that the orchestra maintained a sober balance. Off-program, Bolet performed a delightful short piece by Mozkowski, to which he seemed to transition comfortably. There is a less enthusiastic though still complimentary review of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps

In a BBC television interview in 1968, Bernard Levin asked Rubinstein if it helped for the audience to have a technical knowledge of the music they are hearing. He replied with a comment from "witty Godowsky". On tour in Brazil early in 1920, Arthur Rubinstein had an attack of guilt over his inadequate practising. 'Once in Rio,' he told [Samuel] Chotzinoff, 'I ran into the great pianist Godowsky in the lobby of my hotel. "I'm coming to hear your tonight," Godowsky said, beaming. I blanched. "Please, please don't come," I implored. "It is impossible to fake in front of you."  Harvey Sachs, Rubinstein: a life , (1995), 192

Res Gestae: The Stony Brook School Yearbook 1955 records a rectal by Jorge at his old high school on Long Island (Class of 1934) on 14 October with a well-meaning but less than flattering entry: 'Jorge Bolet, Cuba's answer to Liberace, gives dazzling performance; but even more dazzling are the thirty-eight Knoxers.' The reference is to The Knox School (female boarding and day school on the north shore of Long Island), whose students presumably also attended the recital. On 15th: 'Hurricane Hazel rocks the Brook, causing candlelight evening study.' (Photo: some of the editorial team with member of staff) The Latin phrase Res Gestae literally means "things done" or more generally "deeds". It ultimately derives from Res Gestae Divi Augusti (The Deeds of the Divine Augustus), a monumental inscription composed by the first Roman emperor, Augustus, giving a first-person record of his life and accomplishments. The text was completed just one month before Augustus' death (19 August AD 14), although most of its content was written years earlier and likely went through many revisions. The original, which has not survived, was engraved upon a pair of bronze pillars and placed in front of Augustus' mausoleum. Many copies of the text were made and carved in stone on monuments or temples throughout the Roman Empire, some of which have survived; most notably, almost a full copy, written in the original Latin and a Greek translation was preserved on a temple to Augustus in Ancyra (the Monumentum Ancyranum of Ankara, Turkey); others have been found at Apollonia and Antioch, both in Pisidia.