Cristina Castro Ricárdez

Try the BEST MySpace Editor and MySpace Backgrounds at MySpace Toolbox !MUSICAL STUDIES Cristina Castro studied at the National School of Music, UNAM, where she obtained her Bachelor Degree in Piano with honors, in 2000. She has taken piano master classes and seminars with Krisztina Deli, Bernard Flavigny, Jorge Luis Prats, Hugo, Santiago Rodríguez, Christopher O’Riley, Jorge Federico Osorio, and Olivier Soerensen, among others. In 2005, se began her Master Degree in Interpretation, in Québec, Canada, with professors Arturo Nieto-Dorantes, Chantal Masson, Jean-Pierre Pinson, Ursula Stuber, Josée Vaillancourt, and James Lebens. She also participated in various contemporary music workshops. In 2007, she was granted the Master Degree Maître en Musique (Interprétation) by the Université Laval. ____________________________________________________________ ___ ACTIVITY AS PIANO PLAYER Cristina has given a large number of piano and chamber music recitals in the main concert halls in Mexico City: Auditorio Blas Galindo; Sala Manuel M. Ponce, Palacio de Bellas Artes; Sala Silvestre Revueltas, CNM; Sala Nezahualcóyotl, CCU; Museo Del Carmen; Museo José Luis Cuevas; Sala Hermilo Novelo, CC Ollín Yoliztli; Sala Xochipilli, National School of Music, UNAM; as well as in various halls throughout the Mexican Republic, such as the Conservatorio de las Rosas, Morelia; and in cities such as La Paz, Baja California Sur; Oaxaca, Oaxaca; Acapulco, Guerrero; Pachuca, Hidalgo; and Cuernavaca, Morelos. She was piano accompanist for the saxophone class in the National School of Music, UNAM, from 2000 to 2004, and played in festivals, international saxophone contests and in Radio UNAM (UNAM’s radio station). In 2003, Cristina was granted the FONCA-CONACULTA scholarship for Interpreters, and offered recitals as soloist, mainly focused on XX century and Mexican music. Cristina Castro is, currently, part of Dúo Divertimento Mexico (piano and saxophone duet), with which she has offered successful concerts in Mexico and Canada. In 2006, such duet premiered the work Incertitude, by the Canadian contemporary composer Robert Lemay, in Mexico. Cristina is also is founding member of the Ensamble Celsius de Música Contemporánea (Julio César Díaz, saxophone; Omar Castro, flute; Gustavo Salas, Percussion; Cristina Castro, piano), with which she has played in the International Saxophone Festival in 2006 and 2007 and various contemporary art halls. Such ensemble works mainly contemporary repertoire and develops free improvisation as a core element during its performances. ___________________________________________________________ TEACHING Cristina Castro has been teaching private lessons and offering didactic recitals for people of all ages during the last 15 years. In 2003, se passed a public examination to teach piano at the National School of Music, UNAM where, in January, 2004, she was also member of the jury in the Internal Piano Contest “Mario Ruiz Armengol”. In Québec, Canada, Cristina participated in the Class d’enssamble, class focused on teaching piano to intermediate and advanced students. She was also piano teaching assistant at the Faculty of Music, Université Laval, Québec. Cristina is currently piano teacher at the National School of Music, UNAM. ____________________________________________________________ ___ RESEARCH Cristina has made various research works such as the dissertation Analysis of 13 songs and 7 pieces for cello and piano of the XIX and XX centuries in Mexico, with which she obtained her Bachelor Degree. In 2003, se worked on a research entitled “New trends in Piano music in Mexico during the XX Century”, and interviewed renowned Mexican composers. That same year, she passed a public examination to teach piano at the National School of Music, UNAM, with the essay entitled “Teaching piano technique during the first years of study”. In Québec, Canada, Cristina also participated in several research seminars, where she concluded the works "Les pathologies des pianistes par rapport à la pédagogie pianistique" and "Les dynamiques dans le concerto no. 8 de W. A. Mozart", which she presented in Québec, Canada, in 2005 and 2005, orally and in writing. With such research works, she obtained the highest grades and acknowledgement of specialists on the subject.