Album Notes

Public appearances at the age of five marked the beginning of the artistic career of the Ecuadorian pianist Boris Cepeda (Quito, 1974). His performances has enthrilled audiences in Europe, Asia, South America and the U.S. Boris has achieved first prizes at national piano competitions: 1st prize at the National Music Contest in Cuenca 1982; 1st prize at the national piano competitions „Guillermo Wright Vallarino“1985 and 1989. He represented Ecuador at the international festival “Banner of Peace ” in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1982, 1985 and 1989. His first appearances abroad took place in Montevideo 1987 and in New York City 1988. After graduating from the German School in Quito, as one of the best students of his class, he attended the piano class of Prof. Kurt Seibert at the University of Fine Arts in Bremen.. He graduated from that University with honours. Boris received scholarships from the Waldemar Koch Foundation Bremen, the Esquel Foundation Ecuador, the Philharmonic Society Quito, the Guayasamin Foundation and the Richard Wagner Association. He has recorded for the german radio, also for productions of the University of Fine Arts in Bremen, for the Ecuadorian Pavillon at the World Fair „Hannover 2000“ (together with violinist Jorge Saade). He has been the first Ecuadorian pianist to record music by Ecuadorian composers on the first grand piano built in Ecuador by the piano makers “Verdugo & Son”. Besides his career as a soloist, Boris founded together with his wife a pianistic duo that has performed successfully in Germany, Ecuador, Malaysia and the U.S. During his artistic life, Boris had the opportunity of playing together with great Ecuadorian musicians like the violinist Jorge Saade, the flutist Luciano Carrera and the conductor Alvaro Manzano. After performing with Carrera and Saade at the Festival of Iberoamerican Music in Bremen, Boris developed the idea of contributing with his artistic talent and his knowledege of cultural management to the promotion of Ecuadorian cultural values in the world. He obtained further experience as an assistant of interdisciplinary projects at his University, as director of the Festival of Iberoamerican Music and as assistant of the Artistic Manager of the Festival „Weidener Max Reger Tage“. The Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has supported Boris’ international career through the cultural labour of the Ecuadorian diplomatic missions abroad. That institution also understood his wish of promoting the cultural heritage of his country. In June 2002 the Ministry hired Boris as the Cultural and Press Attaché of the Embassy of the Republic of Ecuador in Berlin. Boris also dedicates part of his time in the education of young Ecuadorian talents giving Master Classes at the National Music Conservatory in Ecuador. Recently, the MP Dr. Marco Proaño Maya, in representation of the Ecuadorian Congress, handed over to Boris the "Vicente Rocafuerte" award for outstanding cultural and artistic merits in recognition of his artistic career of the last 25 years.