UMN Crookston student Caleb Mendez to perform solo piano recital March 23

University of Minnesota Crookston post-secondary student, Caleb Mendez, will be performing a solo piano recital March 23 at 7:30 p.m. in Kiehle Auditorium. Mendez is a pianist, cellist, composer, and piano tuner based out of Crookston, Minn. They've studied piano under the tutelage of Sister Dominica Gerszewski, Dr. Mei-Chuan Lin, and Dr. Nariaki Sugiura; studied cello under Doug Carry and Matt Wellert, and composition under Callie Stadem. 

At the recital, Mendez will be playing the following pieces:

• Aram Khachaturian - Toccata 
• Joseph Haydn - Piano Sonata in C Minor Hob. XVI/20 L. 33, Mov. III 
• Frederic Chopin - Scherzo No. 2 Op. 31
• Frederic Chopin - Waltz No. 1 Op. 18 "Grande valse brillante"
• Frederic Chopin - Waltz No. 6 Op. 64 No. 1 "Minute Waltz"
• Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata No. 8 in C Minor Op. 13 "Sonata Pathetique"

Preview of Mendez at the piano

Mendez has received a multitude of awards including first place in the 2019 Bergmuller PIano Competition hosted by Poppler's Music in the high school division, the 2021 GGFSO Young Artists Concerto Competition high school division, and the 2022 Thoresen-Steffes Young Artists Solo Competition hosted by the FMSO high school division. They also received second place in the 2022 J. Earl Lee Piano Festival Pre-College Competition hosted by Augustana University. 

Mendez will graduate high school in the spring of 2023 and plans to attend the University of North Dakota as piano performance major in the fall of 2023.