“Jorge Mejia’s world is imagery, cinema, storytelling, and he doesn’t hold back.” El Nuevo Herald

Latin Music Executive and Steinway Artist Releases Classical Album & Book 

An Open Book: A Memoir In Music International Tour
Launches at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center, May 4 at 8 p.m.

MIAMI, Florida – March 20, 2018 – "Art needs no boundaries – just boundless commitment,” says Jorge Mejia, a conservatory-trained classical composer and pianist best known as President of Sony/ATV Music Publishing Latin America and U.S. Latin, which represents songwriters like Maluma, Luis Fonsi, and Shakira.

Mejia would know – he often follows a late night at a star-studded Latin music industry event with a 4:30 a.m. alarm to carve out time for composing and writing. “Burning the candle at both ends requires a good demon to push you forward,” he says. “Part of what makes my life make sense is continuing to create, to use music and words to explore my own experience, to convey emotion in a way that hopefully resonates with others.”

To be released via Sony Music Latin, An Open Book: A Memoir in Music is an ambitious genre-blending project, born of Mejia's devotion to storytelling in all its forms. An audiobook alternating narrative vignettes with orchestral preludes recorded by the composer with the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, An Open Book is inspired by Mejia’s colorful family history in Colombia, musical coming-of-age, and charming romantic misadventures en route to meeting his wife, women’s rights advocate Amanda Mejia. 

Drawing on his experiences as an immigrant in America, Mejia’s evocative compositional style explores intersections of identity, culture, and language. A recent performance of musical excerpts from An Open Book, narrated by the composer in Spanish, earned praise from El Nuevo Herald as "a full-scale and colorful mosaic. Mejia’s world is imagery, cinema, storytelling, and he doesn’t hold back.” 

Mejia’s compositions have been played by the Nu Deco Ensemble and Miami Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Havana Lyceum Orchestra and pianist Simone Dinnerstein, who described his preludes as “almost a genre of their own. Composed to be performed next to spoken text, they create a wonderful cinematic effect, full of vibrant colors and lush melodies.”

Recently named a Steinway Artist, Mejia is committed to 'reaching across the aisle' of musical genres. “Classical music when seen up close is irresistible. If you can get somebody close to a vibrating cello, unless they’re made of stone, they can’t help vibrating themselves. It transforms and transfixes you,” says Mejia. “But in the world we live in, with split-second soundbites, sometimes a complex piece of classical music requires a point of entry. I’m hoping that this album of preludes, paired with the stories that inspired them, will allow new listeners to relate to them immediately – offering them a doorway to the power of classical music.”

Befitting a dual words and music release, An Open Book: A Memoir in Music will be celebrated with a reading and performance at Miami's Adrienne Arsht Center. The performance will feature a chamber orchestra, including members of the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, accompanying the composer at the piano. Co-presented by Miami cultural mainstay Books & Books, the launch concert kicks off Mejia’s Latin American tour, which will also include appearances in Ecuador and Uruguay. 

Liz Wallace, Vice President of Programming for the Arsht Center, says, "Jorge’s passion for sharing the emotive experience of classical music with new listeners has inspired us to reconfigure the Knight Concert Hall for this performance. The audience will actually be on stage with the musicians, facing the hall, allowing them to experience the visceral thrill of the orchestra from an intimate perspective that will be a rare treat.” 

Mitch Kaplan, founder of Books & Books, adds, “Having known Jorge since he was a college staffer in our flagship location, I’ve watched his artistic career develop for many years. I have such respect for his unique voice, shaped by his role as an active member of Miami’s bilingual and cultural communities. His self-deprecating humor and natural charisma shine through in these emotionally honest stories, and the reading experience is enriched by his music.”

Also available as an e-book with musical tracks, An Open Book is five years in the making, influenced by a wide range of art spanning Mozart to magical realism. Mejia’s creative process is also inspired by his work as a music executive. “I have a front row seat to the fortitude and flexibility that it takes to be a successful songwriter. The relentless perseverance of the artists I work with has motivated me to respond to my own very clear need to create. It’s scary to risk the status quo, to continue to question and re-define yourself,” Mejia admits. "But ultimately, we are each empowered to craft a life for ourselves that honors all that we are. And if we could each create a worthy tribute to those who inspire us… Imagine how much richer the world could be.”

About Jorge Mejia
A Steinway Artist featured in Billboard Magazine’s “40 under 40” and “Latin Power Players” lists, classical pianist and composer Jorge Mejia (@JorgeMejiaMusic) defies easy categorization. His impassioned performances and evocative compositional style are enriched by his role as a leader in the Latin music world, infusing all facets of his work with a keenly global perspective. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Jorge studied at the New World School of the Arts and the New England Conservatory of Music, and earned a Piano Performance degree from the University of Miami. Jorge is an expert in the power of words wedded to music, having collaborated extensively with some of the world’s foremost songwriters. As President of Sony/ATV Music Publishing Latin America and U.S. Latin, he has been instrumental in guiding Sony/ATV Latin to become the leading music publisher in the Latin industry, with a record-setting 15 consecutive ASCAP Latin Publisher of the Year wins and the first-ever Triple Crown of Publishing, as well as multiple Billboard Publishing Corporation of the Year, BMI Latin Publisher of the Year, and SESAC Publisher of the Year awards. Jorge serves on the boards of the Florida Grammy chapter, Nu Deco Ensemble, and the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame. Learn more at www.jorgemejiamusic.com.

About Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra
Bound by a set of shared values among aspiring artists who aim to improve the world through their music, the Henry Mancini Institute, led by Managing Director Stephen Guerra, encourages emerging artists by providing unique performance, composing, and arranging opportunities offered only through the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music. One of the largest and highly-acclaimed music schools located in a private university in the U.S., the Frost School of Music (@FrostSchoolUM) has over 700 students and 100 faculty members and is a top choice for instrumental, keyboard and vocal performance as well as composition, music business, music education, music engineering technology, music therapy, songwriting, jazz, and studio music. The Frost School of Music is devoted to excellence and a culture of collegiality, in which a diversity of people, musical styles, and careers are valued. It seeks to elevate the community through intensive, sustained outreach to underserved populations, and strives to enhance the cultural richness of the University of Miami, South Florida, and beyond through world-class performance, scholarship and research.

About Adrienne Arsht Center
Set in the heart of downtown Miami and designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@ArshtCenter) is one of the world’s leading performing arts organizations and venues. Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has emerged as a leader in presenting innovative programming that mirrors South Florida’s diversity as well as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area. Spotlighting legends and serving as a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage, the Center presents nearly 500 events each year across its flexible, state-of-the-art performance spaces. The Center programs 12 signature series, including the largest jazz series in South Florida, the biggest flamenco festival on the East Coast, and a robust program of new theatrical works as well as free programming for the community and an arts education program that serves nearly 60,000 children each year. As Miami’s new Town Square, the Arsht Center also houses Brava by Brad Kilgore, a fine dining restaurant; the Café at Books & Books in the historic Carnival Tower, and a weekly Farmers Market.

About Books & Books
Founded in 1982 by Miami Beach native Mitchell Kaplan, Books & Books (@BooksandBooks) has grown from a 500 square-foot building in Coral Gables to become a Miami cultural pillar with 8 locations. Books & Books hosts more than 60 events each month, including author talks, readings, and signings in both English and Spanish, demonstrations and workshops, a live music series, book club discussions, programming for children and families, and a variety of diverse community-based events in partnership with local civic, educational and cultural organizations.