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Spanish pianist Juan Pérez Floristán's appearance this weekend will mark his Monterey Peninsula debut. It will also be his first U.S. performance.

"I am so thrilled to come there," Floristán says. "I've read so much about the U.S., seen movies and read a lot of American authors. It's time."

Many classical soloists have strings of accolades, medals and first-place finishes in competitions. But two specific honors stand out for Floristán.

"The Santander International is one of the most important piano competitions in Europe," Floristán says, "but the prize I am really proud of is the Medal of the City of Seville. That one was a very personal recognition of my work, and coming from my own home town: priceless."

The Santander competition was also his introduction to Monterey Symphony music director Max Bragado-Darman, who telephoned after the victory.

"He suggested Brahms' second piano concerto, and I was thrilled," Floristán says.

Floristán started piano at age 7, under the pedagogy of his mother.

"Piano was a clear choice for me: We always had a grand piano at home," he says. "Most of my friends didn't work with their parents, but who better to teach you than your own mother, who knows you so well?"

Ahead of the Brahms comes a reading of Felix Mendelssohn's boisterous, ebullient Symphony No. 4, ('Italian'). One critic called it "fun to listen to, but hell to play," a description which persists.

"This symphony is enjoyed by any audience, but sometimes not so much by musicians," Floristán says. "It has lots of notes and many uncomfortably difficult segments."

The Brahms concerto has been called "stormy," a description Floristán eschews.

"It has a transparent and candid spirit," Floristán says. "It's full of beautiful moments and heart-melting melodies. The dialogue between piano and orchestra is both charming and never-ending. The way Brahms is able to develop all the motifs and melodies over and over again is just unbelievable."