San Fancisco Classical Voice article, dated 10 February 2004 


Upholding traditional American values of trust and friendship, Atherton's Mary Morgan is busy arranging a series of recitals for her protege, the young Cuban pianist Javier Gonzalez Quintana.

...Morgan and her husband, Dr. Benjamin Spock, traveled to Cuba often, and after his death in 1998, she continued to visit. A couple of years ago, she attended a recital in Havana "by chance" and "saw and heard Javi, immediately recognizing a great talent," and she decided to help Gonzalez study in the US. "I had some connections with Fidel, and cashed in my cards on this one. Still, on the very last day, the US Interest Section told me that he would not be admitted because the State Department, which has Cuba listed as a terrorist country, had just made a new rule.

...Javi graduated that morning, got his visa that afternoon, purchased his ticket, and was on the plane the next day." 

Javier Gonzalez: Embracing a Potential 'Terrorist Musician'

Keeping 'em out of the country or help musicans from other countries? Upholding traditional American values of trust and friendship, Atherton's Mary Morgan is busy arranging a series of recitals for her protege, the young Cuban pianist Javier Gonzalez Quintana. The next concert will be held in Menlo Park on Feb. 13. (For information, call 650-493-2775.)

Morgan and her husband, Dr. Benjamin Spock, traveled to Cuba often, and after his death in 1998, she continued to visit. A couple of years ago, she attended a recital in Havana "by chance" and "saw and heard Javi, immediately recognizing a great talent," and she decided to help Gonzalez study in the US. "I had some connections with Fidel, and cashed in my cards on this one. Still, on the very last day, the US Interest Section told me that he would not be admitted because the State Department, which has Cuba listed as a terrorist country, had just made a new rule.

"In order to "house" an academician or artist from Cuba, you had to obtain a license from the US government. I got the State Department, the INS, my immigration attorney and the US Interest Section on the same line. He is only a student, not a terrorist. They relented and gave him his visa, just 30 minutes before closing. Javi graduated that morning, got his visa that afternoon, purchased his ticket, and was on the plane the next day."

Assisted by Morgan and fellow musicians recognizing his talent, Gonzalez entered the San Francisco Conservatory's master program in music in the summer of 2002, at age 24, and won first place in the piano concerto competition. A year later, he auditioned with Jerome Lowenthal, who accepted him as a student. Pending a successful audition on in a couple of weeks, Gonzalez will study with Lowenthal at the Juilliard School, but continue to maintain residence in California.

He will have another friend in New York. When Alicia de Larrocha came to San Francisco a little over a year ago, on her tour of farewell concerts, Morgan and San Francisco Symphony pianist Robin Sutherland introduced Gonzalez to her. Last summer, she asked to hear him live, not just on the home-made CDs sent to her. "She said she couldn't have us at her place, in New York, because her piano was mute," Morgan says. "I got Steinway across the street from her Carnegie apartment on 57th Street to give us the Rachmaninov Hall. She and Javi had a wonderful lesson in Spanish. She took us home with her, and sure enough, the piano was mute. She explained that she doesn't want the neighbors to complain. For 23 years she has had the apartment, and had the mute piano."

Morgan, meanwhile, is resuming her work as founder-director of the Dr. Spock Company. She is revising "that book" (Baby and Child Care) and will have the 8th edition published in June, in time with the good doctor's 101st birthday celebration.



Extract reprinted with kind permission. To view full article, click here  

Posted: Tue - February 10, 2004 at 02:58 PM          

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