Cellist wins Latin music contest, album

Nicholas Mariscal recently won the opportunity to record a CD produced by the Latin American Music Center, as well as a full concert at the competition winner’s recital Feb. 28 in Auer Hall in the Simon Music Center.

Mariscal first learned how to play the cello when he was 12, but the piano was the first musical instrument he ever touched.

Now a music major, Mariscal said he was at first hesitant to try playing any instruments. He only started playing piano because his father pushed him into it.  

“When I first started to learn the piano, I had no interest in music whatsoever, but I began taking after-school lessons when my dad more or less forced me to try it,” he said. “I quickly became very enthusiastic about music, and by the time I began learning the cello, I think I knew that I wanted to be a musician.”

Now, the once-uncertain pianist is the talented musician who surprised the audience with a cello performance infused with a Latin flair. When thinking of Latin music, the cello is not usually associated as a key instrument. Mariscal said he agrees his use of the cello is a strange combination.

“I think that was actually one of the reasons I was so interested in entering this competition was because I wanted to explore and perform the Latin American music for cello that very few people would be familiar with,” he said.

Mariscal’s performance included songs from Argentinean composers Alberto Ginastera and Osvaldo Golijov and Venezuelan composer Paul Desenne. He said that his performance did not include any stereotypically “Latin” songs, such as tango and salsa, but rather contained influences from them.

“The music that I’m playing is all very different,” Mariscal said. “Some of it is very Latin in the sense that it has colorful melodies and harmonies and is intensely rhythmic.

But some of it is less dominated by the characteristics most people probably associate with Latin music.”

Mariscal said he is looking forward to performing in the upcoming concert and album recording process but is a bit nervous to be performing in his solo concert.  

“I am very excited to be introduced to the recording process,” he said. “I have never made a professionally produced studio recording before, so I’m not really sure what to expect. However, I can say that I’m thrilled that in a few months there will be a CD with my name on it.”