With this distinction, the French Ministry of Culture honors a dual vocation: that of a pianist of excellence, whose artistic career commands respect on the world's greatest stages, and that of a cultural manager of trajectory, the bearer of a bold, committed and forward-looking cultural vision.

In tribute to this recognition, Marcos Madrigal will perform an extraordinary concert on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at the Oratorio San Felipe Neri at 4:00 p.m., with the Orchestra of the Lyceum of Havana, conducted by José Antonio Méndez Padrón, one of the most distinguished young conductors in Latin America. The program will include works by Camille Saint-Saëns, Nikolái Rimski-Kórsakov and Serguéi Rajmáninov. Organized by the Youth Art Fund in collaboration with the Lyceum OrchestraThis event underscores the shared commitment of both institutions to artistic excellence and the development of new generations of performers.

Recognized as one of the most outstanding orchestras in Cuba, the Lyceum Orchestra is composed mostly of young musicians, many of whom have been trained in its own Youth Orchestral Academy, created in 2023 with the support of the Fondo de Arte Joven. This academy offers specialized training in chamber and orchestral performance, and constitutes a hotbed of young talent that constantly renews the orchestra's artistic heart.

As musical director of FAJ, he has led renowned events of the platform, such as the National Music Competition, concerts, instrument donations, exchange spaces, thus contributing to create opportunities for new generations of musicians.

MARCOS MADRIGAL

Born in 1984 in Havana, Marcos Madrigal began his piano training at the age of three. He graduated with honors from the Instituto Superior de Arte de Cuba (ISA) in 2007, where he received the demanding training of Cuban pianist Teresita Junco. He then continued his studies in Europe, particularly at the International Piano Academy of Lake Como, one of the most selective institutions in the world, then presided over by the legendary pianist Martha Argerich, where he perfected his art with masters such as William Grant Naboré, Andreas Staier, Dimitri Bashkirov, Fou Ts'ong, John Perry and Malcolm Bilson.

Acclaimed for the depth of his interpretation, the richness of his timbre and the elegance of his sound structures, Madrigal has performed on some of the world's most prestigious stages, such as the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome and the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. He has worked with renowned conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Leo Brouwer, Paul Mann, Enrique Diemecke and Lorenzo Ramos, and has developed projects with Oscar-winning composer Nicola Piovani, as well as with leading figures in film and musical theater.

He is founder and artistic director of the Habana Clásica International Festival, created in 2017. Every fall, this event transforms Havana into an exceptional musical meeting point, where great international performers and young Cuban talents converge. Through concerts in heritage spaces of the city, the festival proposes a living dialogue between the classical legacy, contemporary creation and artistic transmission. With a decentralized vision of classicism, it actively integrates extra-European musical traditions, offering a modern, open and non-hegemonic reading of the sound heritage. Its social dimension is expressed in the organization of academic meetings, training spaces and concerts in the neighborhoods.

Since 2023, Marcos Madrigal has been music director of the Fondo de Arte Joven, a cultural platform founded in Havana at the initiative of Lorenzo Suárez, general producer of the Habana Clásica International Festival. Registered as an independent organization in Geneva, it brings together some of the most respected figures of the contemporary art scene. Since this transformation, Marcos Madrigal has been vice-president of the organization, of which he continues to lead the musical direction.

Under the joint impulse of Marcos Madrigal and Lorenzo Suárez, the Fondo de Arte Joven has established itself as a reference organization in the support and promotion of emerging art and the cultural and creative industries in countries of the Global South. Currently, the entity promotes strategic alliances with various agencies of the United Nations system, important actors of international cooperation, private foundations, international academic centers such as Harvard University, and the private sector committed to social responsibility initiatives.