My name is Carol Ruiz, I am a pianist and I come from Barcelona (Spain). For the last six years, I've lived in Utrecht (The Netherlands) where I studied a Master in Piano Performance and nowadays I work as piano teacher, accompanist and performer (www.carolpianogroep.blogspot.com
,www.myspace.com/carolruizpiano)
During the past years I've learned about the House concert concept, and I've enjoyed it in both sides, as a performer and as a listener. In my opinion a House Concert is a very special experience, and a beautiful tradition from many countries which is still in use. So, when I finally got a place big enough to organize a House Concert I couldn't resist do it. I know it is a lot of work, time, energy, effort....but I really believe it is an amazing experience, and I would like to share it with those who love music as much as me. On the other hand, I am happy to create a new concert space and give musicians another concert opportunity. Nowadays all we here is crisis, there is no money, cut the budget...well, the first to despair in every country who wants to reduce cost is Arts, education, social help, and so on; little by little concert opportunities are despairing for musicians, specially the paid ones... Art is not considered "essential" for the society. And I wonder, when a musicians job is actually make the public feel something, "isn't it important to make people feel?
I come from Spain, a country which still didn't recover form the cultural damage made during more than 30 years Dictatorship (1939-1975). Even the past ten years, the governments tried to change and support Art and culture, they couldn't reach the level from countries in mid-north-europe; and now with the economical situation they reduced all the support again...so back to the beginning.