The Germantown Symphony Orchestra will be featuring world-renowned pianist Valery Kuleshov performing Tchaikovsky’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 1 at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 2. The event will be at the Duncan-Williams Performance Hall at the Germantown Performing Arts Center, 1801 Exeter Road, Germantown. The program also includes Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7.
Dr. Ronald Vernon, GSO music director and conductor, said, “The Germantown Symphony is thrilled to host Valery Kuleshov for a return appearance. We will never forget our first collaboration with him and are inspired to be able to perform Tchaikovsky’s monumental piano concerto with him. I am particularly pleased to have the opportunity to work with him again. His performances are so clear, expressive and convincing that it makes my role as accompanist especially enjoyable.”
The performing art of Van Cliburn Silver Medalist Valery Kuleshov, who is called the “Russian virtuoso of the romantic piano,” is based on the best Russian piano traditions. One can find in his playing emotional sincerity, rich colors, brilliant virtuosity, profound understanding of composers’ styles, and freshness of interpretation. In 1997, by decree of the president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, Valery Kuleshov was awarded the rare distinction of “Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation.”
His playing has been compared to the style of Vladimir Horowitz with vast dynamic contrasts, consisting of tremendous double-fortissimos followed by sudden delicate pianissimos. Kuleshov has also accomplished the unique and incredibly difficult work of writing out by hand, note by note, the great master Vladimir Horowitz’s 10 unpublished piano transcriptions by listening only to the LP recordings. After hearing the recordings of his transcriptions played by Kuleshov, Vladimir Horowitz wrote to the young musician in 1987, “I was not only delighted by your fantastic performances, but I congratulate you on your keen ear and great patience that were required to write out, note by note, the scores of these unpublished transcriptions, by listening to my recordings.”
While maintaining an international performing schedule, Valery Kuleshov serves as artist-in-residence at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla. He also performs duo piano repertoire with his daughter, Tatiana Kuleshova. Kuleshov has recorded 10 CDs, featuring the music of Busoni, Chopin, Horowitz, Liszt, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Paganini, Rachmaninoff, Saint-Saens and even John Philip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever.
A concert or recital by Valery Kuleshov is not just a performance, it is an experience for the heart, soul and senses.
Tickets for the concert are $15 for adults, $8 for seniors and free for students (plus handling fee); they are available online at GPACweb.com or by calling the GPAC Box Office at (901) 751-7500. The GSO is now in its 43rd season and is the community orchestra in residence at GPAC. It is funded in part by a grant from the GPAC Arts Education Fund. For more information, visit germantownsymphony.org.
