Three acclaimed Venezuelan musicians were concerned that Latin American music is underrepresented. That’s why violinist Simón Gollo, cellist Horacio Contreras, and pianist Ana Maria Otamendi formed the Reverón Piano Trio five years ago.
The trio, who now live in the United States, will perform on April 1 at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston.
They will perform “La Hamaca/The Hammock” by Ricardo Lorenz, which was composed for them. It is titled after a painting by Armando Reverón, the Venezuelan artist for whom the trio is named. “It’s a really amazing piece. He is such a rich composer,” Otamendi said.
Selections by other Latin American composers will also be performed.
“When we think of music from the Romantic Period, we always think of Brahms and Schuman — European names,” Contreras pointed out. “We rarely think of the Americas for that period. We are bringing to the stage great works that really represent that period. That what I like about the program. It shows that Latin American creators were producing works that were very interesting and expressive in that period.”
“We’re playing beautiful music that deserves to be performed,” Otamendi said.
They chose that name, Gollo said, because “we wanted to let people know that Venezuela is a rich country, a very rich culture. All kinds of arts are very well represented.”
“Reverón was a very important painter in Venezuela,” Contreras added. “And he was one of the more important Modernist painters in Latin America. We all are very committed to spreading the word about our great Latin American art and music.”
Gollo and Contreras have been performing together for a long time and are close friends. “We’ve played together about 17 years,” Gollo said. “We grew up together. He’s like a member of my family for sure.”
Gollo noted that he was artistic director of an important festival in Venezuela from 2000-2012. “Horacio was one of the most talented young musicians during that time,” Gollo said.
“He invited me to play in the festival,” Contreras said. That was in 2005.
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Contreras later attended the University of Michigan to get his doctorate and that’s where he connected with Otamendi, although he had met her earlier in Venezuela.
“I had to play for a master class and she was the pianist that was assigned to play with me,” he said.
“I knew about her because Venezuela is not such a big country,” Gollo noted. “I knew she was extremely creative and talented.”
The three decided to perform together.
“I didn’t know them well, but I did know them and we have a lot of common friends,” Otamendi said. “I knew they were fantastic musicians and really nice people. They invited me for a concert in New Mexico and we hit it off really well. After that, we decided we were going to keep playing. When we got together, it was a little bit like being at home. Not to mention that the guys are really funny.”
“It’s a beautiful combination,” Gollo said. “We have very strong personalities but we like to work together.”
Gollo has appeared as a conductor and soloist across the United States, Europe, Central America, and South America. He teaches master classes around the world and is assistant professor of violin in the Department of Music at New Mexico State University and conductor of the New Mexico State University Philharmonic.
Contreras has performed across the Americas and Europe as a concerto soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and master class clinician. He is on the faculty of Lawrence University, the Music Institute of Chicago, and the University of Michigan’s MPulse Summer Institute Center Stage Strings.
Otamendi has performed around the world as a soloist, collaborative pianist, and conductor with renowned orchestras. She is currently the Janice Harvey Pellar Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano at Louisiana State University and artistic director of the Collaborative Piano Institute. She won the 2021 Emerging Artist Award from the University of Michigan.
The Reverón Piano Trio has been in residency at Michigan State University, University of Wisconsin, Dickinson College, Lawrence University, and Louisiana State University. They have given many recitals, lectures, and master classes around the country.
The best thing about being part of the Reverón Trio, according to Gollo is “the friendships. Yes, we have our successes but what matters is that we trust each other and support each other.”
Contreras agreed that the friendship between the three of them is one of the joys of being in the trio. He added, “They’re both great musicians and every time I sit with them, I learn.”
Reverón Piano Trio
When: 7:30 p.m. April 1
Where: Nichols Concert Hall, Music Institute of Chicago, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston
Tickets: $26.50-$52; livestream $26.50
Information: 847-448-8326; musicinst.org/nch
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.