Teen Pianist Amir Akil Makes Debut in Playa del Carmen With ‘Fractales del Viento’

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A 19-year-old self-taught pianist from Quintana Roo will take the stage in Playa del Carmen on Sunday for a debut recital that ranges from Rachmaninoff to Radiohead.

The Municipal Institute of Culture and the Arts of Playa del Carmen (IMCAP) is presenting Amir Akil in concert with his program “Fractales del Viento” (“Fractals of the Wind”) on Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

“We are honored to host this concert and, with the ongoing support of our mayor Estefanía Mercado, to open spaces for local talent,” said Ernesto Santiago Martínez Cuéllar, IMCAP’s director general.

Akil, who has no formal conservatory training, said he reshapes the music he hears while keeping its core intact. “I listen to songs and in my mind I make innovations without losing their essence. I’m going to perform very diverse pieces for all kinds of audiences,” he said.

Ahead of the recital, he worked under Liliam Lima, director of the Children’s and Youth Symphony Orchestra of Playa del Carmen.

The program includes works by Japanese pianist Matsuii and Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, alongside songs popularized by:

• Rocío Dúrcal
• Radiohead
• The Bee Gees
• John Lennon
• ABBA

Akil received his first keyboard from his grandfather at age 11, the starting point of a career that has since included performances with orchestras and groups at shows across several tourist resorts.