Lorin Hollander, a U.S. pianist considered one of the best in the world, plans to visit Costa Rica to promote music education here, Culture Minister María Elena Carballo announced last week.
During his visit, the renowned pianist plans to give a master class to teachers from Costa Rican music institutes, hold a conference on creative music education and give a concert with his wife Tara Hollander. He and his wife will also travel around the country to give talks on music education in hopes that the idea catches on.
Hollander is launching a campaign to raise money to help the National Music Institute open new music schools around the country, Carballo said. The goal is to inaugurate 12 new schools, improve nine existing schools and provide instruments for these schools (TT, June 29).
His campaign has a budget of more than $500,000 and is seeking additional funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which has financed similar programs in Venezuela and Colombia.
Hollander is from the U.S. city of New York, where he debuted at age 11 at Carnegie Hall. During his 50-year career, he has given concerts with orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, London Philharmonic and Cincinnati orchestras.
He is a co-founder of the New Yorkbased Institute for Music and Neurologic Function and an active participant in “creating new paradigms for medicine and integral healing,” according to a biography on his Web site
(www.lorinhollander.com).
The conference and concert are open to the public and will both take place at the National Theater.
The conference, entitled “Music and Development of the Brain: Towards a Visionary and Creative Education,” is set for Aug. 28 at 8 p.m.; admission is ¢5,000 ($9.60), or ¢3,000 ($5.80) for students and senior citizens.
The concert will take place Aug. 31 at 8 p.m. Special entrances are priced at $100; admission is ¢10,000 ($19) for general seating and ¢2,000 ($3.80) for the gallery.
Tickets for both events are available at the National Theater box office. For information, call 283-1000 or visit www.teatronacional.go.cr.
