Sisters of the Moon Susana Gómez Vázquez

• Hélène de Montgeroult (1764 - 1836): Piano Étude:
• 1 de Montgeroult: Piano Étude No. 37, in G major 00:45
• 2 de Montgeroult: Piano Étude No. 111, in G minor 02:03
• Fanny Mendelssohn (1805 - 1847): Das Jahr:
• 3 Mendelssohn: Das Jahr: 12 Characterstücke VI. June 04:59
• 4 Mendelssohn: Das Jahr: 12 Characterstücke IX. September 02:50
• Amy Beach (1867 - 1944): A Hermit Thrush at Eve, op. 92:
• 5 Beach: A Hermit Thrush at Eve, op. 92, no. 1 04:51
• 6 Beach: A Hermit Thrush at Morn, op. 92, no. 2 04:41
• Nadia Boulanger (1887 - 1979): Petites pieces pour piano:
• 7 Boulanger: Petites pieces pour piano: I. 01:35
• 8 Boulanger: Petites pieces pour piano: II. 00:47
• 9 Boulanger: Petites pieces pour piano: III. 01:05
• Alicia de Larrocha (1923 - 2009): Festívola:
• 10 de Larrocha: Festívola 03:36
• Iluminada Pérez (b. 1972): Le Sette Sorelle dal Cielo:
• 11 Pérez: Le Sette Sorelle dal Cielo 09:21
• Susana Gómez Vázquez (b. 1995): Interludio (Oda a Kassia):
• 12 Vázquez: Interludio (Oda a Kassia) 02:39
• Claudia Montero (1962 - 2021): Rondo:
• 13 Montero: Rondo 04:22
• Florence Price (1887 - 1953): Fantasie Nègre No. 1, in E minor:
• 14 Price: Fantasie Nègre No. 1, in E minor 08:13
• Total Runtime 51:47

Info for Sisters of the Moon

Inspired by the “Sisters of the Moon” paintings by the surrealist artist Leonora Carrington, the concept behind this album revolves around the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters. According to Greek mythology, these nymphs, also known as the dancers, served the goddess Artemis. They lived a life devoted to love and rebelled against the obligation to preserve their virginity. One day, on being pursued by the hunter Orion, they were given their freedom by being transformed into doves and then a cluster of stars in the night sky. In Inca mythology, they are seen as the mothers of the universe.

In a way, the Pleiades are metaphorically embodied by the composers who feature on this album: Montgeroult, Mendelssohn, Beach, Larrocha, Boulanger, Price, Montero, Pérez and me.

This is why most of the works on Sisters of the Moon are either linked to night-time, when the stars can be glimpsed in the sky, or related to love and dancing.

Susana Gómez Vázquez, piano

Susana Gómez Vázquez
Since her debut in the National Music Auditorium of Spain in 2006, Susana Gómez Vázquez has performed all over Europe, United States and South America, in venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Centro de Acción Social in Caracas, Bremen Sendesaal, Purcell Room (Southbank Centre), Fazioli concert room, Teatro Monumental, St Martin in The Fields, the Auditorio-ADDA in Alicante, Auditorio de Zaragoza, Colston Hall, St George’s Bristol, Teatro Calderón de Valladolid, Erbdrostenhof en Münster, Spanish Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and in festivals such as International Festival in Leeds, Pré-Fête de la Musique en Cologny, Festival Musica in Collina, Pianino Festival, Festival Siglo de Oro, Madrid Piano City amongst others .

She has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the RTVE Orchestra, the Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, the Betica Chamber Orchestra, the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra, the city of Almería Orchestra, the MDC Symphonic Orchestra, the UPM Symphony Orchestra amongst others and has made recordings for Radio Nacional Clásica, RTVE and BBC Radio 3. Future engagements include concerts as a soloist with Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla León and Orquesta Filarmonía de Madrid. Her first album with Eudora Records: AD ILLIAM (for her) was acclaimed by national and international critics, it is is the winner of Best Recording of Classical Music 2022 in the Más Músicas awards, finalist in the Independent Music Awards 2022 and selected as one of the best albums of 2021 in La Hora Azul of Radio Clásica. She has just released her second album Sisters of the Moon on Eudora Records this September, which has been awarded with “Melómano de Oro”. It has been acclaimed by national and international critics and selected in top playlists of Apple Music and Tidal publishers. Sisters of the Moon has also been selected as album of the week on classical radio luxembourg (opus 100.7) and has been selected for broadcasts on Austrian national radio, radio catalunya 3, and Spanish national classical radio. It has recently been nominated for the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik (German Record Critics’ Prize).

Amongst her numerous awards, one can highlight the first prizes in the Competition of Jeunesses Musicales of Spain, in the International Competition Ciutat de Carlet, in the Iris Dyer competition of the Royal Academy of Music, in the Freddy Morgan and Wigmore Hall competitions (soloist and chamber music), in the Los Angeles Colburn International piano festival competition, the EMCY prize, as well as the Maud Hornsby Award and the Franz Reizenstein Prize at the Royal Academy of Music for her professional achievements.

She is also an active performer of contemporary music. She has played and premiered pieces by contemporary composers such as Teresa Catalán, Alicia Díaz de la Fuente, Claudia Montero, Albert Llanas Rich, Alberto García Demestres, Brett Dean, Stephen Montague and Oliver Knussen, working with them in their performance. She has also premiered her own works, including a trio at Wigmore Hall, and has been a member of numerous contemporary music ensembles.

As a composer, some of her works have been premiered at concert halls such as the Wigmore Hall, the Duke’s Hall, the Jewish Museum in Warsaw, the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, and the Queen Elizabeth Hall, by the Milton Keynes, Aurora, Encore Chamber Orchestra and other professional groups.

A very passionate chamber musician, Susana has taken part in different chamber music festivals such as Clasclas Festival or Lausanne International Summer Academy and performs regularly with different chamber music formations. She has been a member of Le Beau Piano Trio, with whom she was laureated in Trondheim International Competition.

Born in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) in 1995, Susana Gómez Vázquez graduated under the tutelage of Patsy Toh and Hamish Milne at the Royal Academy of Music (London) with distinction, and has a Master of Music´s degree from the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln where she studied with Fabio Bidini and a Master of Music from the Conservatori Liceu in Barcelona with Josep Colom.

She has also received advice from other pianists such as Fou Ts’ong, Cristina Ortiz, Tatiana Sarkissova, Albert Atenelle, Martino Tirimo, Julián Martín, Claudio Martínez-Mehner, Kenneth Weiss, Yong-Hi Moon, Stephen Montague, Mikhail Petukhov, Pascal Devoyon, Kathryn Stott, Elza Kolodin, Menahem Pressler and Gabriela Montero.

Susana has often been involved in music outreach and education activities in local communities, such as the outreach programme of the Purcell School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music or EnCORE-Music with no borders. She has offered masterclasses. lectures and classes at El Sistema in Venezuela, Texas Tech School of Music, ClasClas International piano festival , Connecting Musicians 2022 and 2023, Conservatorio profesional de música de Alcalá de Henares and Peñacorada…. In addition, she has been director and organizer of outreach concerts for young and underprivileged audiences at the International Students House in London. Since 2024 she has been selected as a member of the cultural council of the City Council of Alcalá de Henares as an independent artist for her professional career.

Booklet for Sisters of the Moon