The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Music will present the second performance in the UAB Piano Series, Russian pianist Valery Kuleshov, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014.
Kuleshov will perform a program of Bach’s Organ Concerto in D minor, BWV 596; sonatas by Scarlatti; Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet (Fantasy-Overture)”; Scriabin’s Five Preludes, Op. 16, Etude in F-sharp major, Op. 42 No. 3, and Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 42 No. 5; Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14; and Rhapsodie espagnole (Folies d’Espagne et Jota aragonesa), S 254 by Liszt. The performance will be at 4 p.m., in the Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall of UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Tickets are $15; $5 for UAB students. Call 205-975-2787 for tickets. Visit the UAB Department of Music online at www.uab.edu/cas/music.
Kuleshov made his concert debut with a symphony orchestra in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory at the age of 9. He studied with some of Russia’s best pianists, including Dmitry Bashkirov, Nikolai Petrov and Vladimir Tropp. Kuleshov also studied at the International Piano Foundation in Italy with some of the world’s most acclaimed piano teachers, including Karl Ulrich Schnabel and Leon Fleischer.
Kuleshov’s first major international success was at the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy in 1987, where he was awarded second place and received the gold medal. In his North American debut at the Ninth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1993, Kuleshov was awarded the silver medal and the prize for Best Performance of a Commissioned Work for his performance of “Ghost Waltzes” by American composer Morton Gould. According to his website, his performance in the final round prompted the Le Monde reviewer to exclaim, “What sound! What allure! What a musician!”
Kuleshov’s biography states that his performing art is based on the best Russian piano traditions. His interpretations, technique, bravura and passion for the music have earned him the name “Russian Virtuoso of the Romantic Piano.” Kuleshov is drawn to the romantic music by Schumann, Liszt, Chopin, Brahms and Rachmaninoff. The top spots in his concert programs belong to works by Scriabin along with classical and contemporary music. His career has included performances in the best concert halls in Russia and in Europe, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.
Kuleshov is artist-in-residence at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla. He also performs duo piano repertoire with his daughter, Tatiana.
On Sunday, March 9, 2014, the UAB Piano Series will conclude with a performance by Robert Henry. Henry is an internationally distinguished pianist, winning universal acclaim as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, accompanist and chamber musician. Call 205-975-2787 for tickets. Visit the UAB Department of Music online at www.uab.edu/cas/music.