the ricard viñes chair at the university of lleida (udl) has launched its first cultural initiative with an exhibition and a dramatized concert, both aimed at celebrating the legacy of the renowned pianist. the exhibition, titled ricard viñes: un pianista al centro del mundo, opened today in the rectorate's lobby and will be available for public viewing until 10 february.
this initiative is part of the university's extension classrooms programme and marks the beginning of the chair's efforts, established in may with support from the diputación de lleida, to promote the life and work of the leridan musician.
curated by udl professor esther solé, the exhibition features various panels displaying reproductions of materials primarily sourced from a documentary archive deposited at the udl in 2019. these include photographs, sheet music, and concert posters, along with a series of qr codes linking to audio recordings of viñes performing and speaking.
the second cultural offering from the chair, titled ricard viñes, memoria de un pianista, is a dramatized concert set to premiere on 5 november at the gran teatre de la passió in cervera. written and directed by ferran farré, this performance is also part of the extension classrooms programme and has received backing from the institut d'estudis ilerdencs and the udl's vice-rectorate of culture.
the concert will feature actors fèlix pons and queralt albinyana, alongside composer albert guinovart, who will perform the entire repertoire on piano and debut a new composition dedicated to viñes. “it will be a performance that combines music, projections, and interpretations in a dreamlike and poetic tone,” noted the vice-rector of culture, núria casado.
these two initiatives are the first steps in a broader project known as the memorial viñes, which aims to periodically commemorate the leridan musician through publications, conferences, and recordings. the director of the chair and udl professor, màrius bernadó, explained that “it is time to begin transferring knowledge, translating academic work into cultural products for a wide audience.”
