MENENDEZ AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM

JULIAN MENENDEZ AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

Oskar Espina Ruiz introduces Post-Romantic Spanish composer Julián Menéndez to American audiences

Espina Ruiz devotes much of his time to musical research. His work on Spanish Post-Romantic composer Julián Menéndez brought him the first prize of the International Clarinet Association Research Competition in 2006, later writing an article for the March 2007 issue of “The Clarinet” magazine, and led to the acquisition of one of Menéndez’s clarinets by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for its Musical Instruments Galleries —currently on display at its permanent collection, including a photo and biography of Menéndez next to Benny Goodman’s.

Oskar Espina Ruiz is a pioneer in the research and study of Julián Menéndez. He has offered lectures and recitals on Menéndez at the City University of New York Graduate Center, the University of North Texas, the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Madrid Royal Superior Conservatory and the Central Beijing Conservatory, among other venues. This ongoing research culminated in his recording of the complete works for clarinet and piano by Menéndez on two CDs (KB 13703), the first ever monographic recording of his works, released in Tokyo in July 2004. Orchestrations of Menéndez’s works and a book-length study are further ventures Espina Ruiz has been involved with recently.

At the clarinet display of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Musical Instruments Galleries, clockwise, Enrique Ojeda, Consul of Spain in New York, Herbert Heyde, Associate Curator, Dept. of Musical Instruments, Oskar Espina Ruiz and Noriko Nagasawa, moments before their concert, Keneth Moore, Head of the Dept. of Musical Instruments and, within the display, the clarinet and photo of Julián Menéndez.
April 2003

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