Songs of Desire: Debussy and Pierre Louys

Colombian pianists Natalia Vanegas-Escobar and David Córdoba-Hernández join Mexican mezzo-soprano Paulina Villarreal at the Green Room to present Debussy’s complete Chansons de Bilitis for voice and piano alongside the complete Six épigraphes antiques for piano four hands.

Debussy composed some of his most intimate music for these works, inspired by the sensual poetry of Pierre Louÿs. Published in 1894 as the newly discovered work of Bilitis—a fictional ancient Greek poet and contemporary of Sappho—the poems captivated readers with their tender, candid portrayals of desire between women before Louÿs revealed the literary hoax: he had written every line himself. Join us to experience these poems read aloud and brought to life in music, tailored for a room designed for close listening.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Pianists Natalia Vanegas-Escobar and David Córdoba-Hernández have performed across France, the United States, Costa Rica, and Colombia, including sold-out concerts for Crosstown Arts and Medellín’s Martes de Cámara con Teresita series. Vanegas-Escobar, co-director of the Memphis International Piano Festival, has recorded the Colombian preludes of Adolfo Mejía and Guillermo Uribe Holguín and performed as soloist with the EAFIT Symphony Orchestra. Córdoba-Hernández premiered Juan Sebastián Cardona Ospina’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the EAFIT-Iberacademy Orchestra and will make its U.S. premiere with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra in March 2027.

Mezzo-soprano Paulina Villarreal has appeared with Cincinnati Opera, Opera Saratoga, Tanglewood Music Center, and the Boston Pops. Founder of the Cantos para el Mundo concert series in Torreón, Mexico, she currently serves on the voice faculty at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music following her tenure at the University of Memphis.