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After Having to Reschedule His January Recital Due to Illness, Pianist Denis Matsuev Revels in Haydn, Schumann, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky for D.C. Area Recital
Fresh off of being a featured performer at the closing ceremony for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Matsuev’s D.C. area recital is Tuesday, June 17th at 8pm at Music Center at Strathmore
Returning to North America after a very successful tour as soloist with illustrious maestro Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra in the fall of 2013, pianist Denis Matsuev stops by the Music Center at Strathmore to demonstrate why, as The New York Times reported, “audiences showed, by clamorous standing ovations, that they loved everything Mr. Matsuev did.” Most recently, he was viewed by millions of spectators around the globe while performing excerpts from Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto at the closing ceremony of the Sochi Olympic Games. In April 2014, Matsuev will be named as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, joining the ranks of artists such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Plácido Domingo and Herbie Hancock.
With his characteristic blend of “heroic force” (The Independent) and famously passionate interpretation, Matsuev’s recital traverses the spectrum of classical moods: the poetic elegance of Haydn’s Piano Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI:52; Schumann’s nimble, playful Carnaval, Op. 9; some of Tchaikovsky’s most soulful piano works (Dumka in C minor, Op. 59 and Méditation, Op. 72, No. 5); and intense and shadowy Rachmaninoff in a pair of preludes (G minor, Op. 23, No. 5 and G-flat minor, Op. 32, No. 12) and the Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor.
The winner of numerous prestigious international honors including the 11th International Tchaikovsky Competition and the Shostakovich Prize, the Siberian-born Matsuev made his name internationally as an ardent Romantic specialized in the music of Rachmaninoff. While the composer’s quintessential concertos are still the bread and butter of Matsuev’s “pedal to the metal” persona, the intimacy of this recital—although still filled with crowd-pleasing virtuosity—highlights his deep emotional connection to this repertoire.
The concert is presented by Maestro Artist Management (MAM), www.maestroartist.com.
About Denis Matsuev:
Denis Matsuev has enjoyed a stellar career since his triumphant victory in the 11th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and is now one of the most sought-after musicians of his generation. His performances in the most prestigious concert halls of the world are always an unfailing success and he appears regularly with world-famous orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, NY Philharmonic, Philadelphia and LA Philharmonic, Concertgebouw, Berliner Philharmoniker, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre. He has a successful creative partnership with the world’s most prominent conductors including Lorin Maazel, Valery Gergiev, Kurt Mazur, Mariss Jansons, Myung-Whun Chung, Zubin Mehta, and Yuri Temirkanov.
Denis Matsuev continues his artistic involvement with the Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation established by Alexander Rachmaninoff, the grandson of the composer. It was Matsuev who was chosen to present the great composer’s unpublished works, recorded at the composer’s grand piano. Denis Matsuev is the president of New Names, the Russian Inter-regional Charitable Foundation, and artistic director of the Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation. He is a laureate of prestigious “Shostakovich’s Prize”. He also is a “People’s Artist of Russia.” Denis Matsuev is a member of The Presidential Council for Culture and Art and recently became the head of The Public Council under The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
About Maestro Artist Management:
Maestro Artist Management (MAM), a full-service production, touring and promotion company that focuses on presenting international artists in various genres, from classical music and dance to theatre and world music, to audiences in the US. MAM’s public relations and event management team assists other art management agencies, venues and festivals in promoting their own musical programs. Maestro Artist Management presents at Strathmore Hall on a regular basis, bringing such celebrated international artists and ensembles as Yuri Bashmet, Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra, Vadim Repin, Vladir Spivakov, Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Olga Kern, Denis Matsuev, Michel Legrand, Max Raabe, Palast Orchester, and Alexander Ghindin to local audiences. Visit www.maestroartist.com for more information.
Tickets for the performance at Strathmore are $35-$75 and can be purchased (fee free) from the Strathmore ticket office, or by phone at 301-581-5100 (Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m.), or online at www.strathmore.org. Group ticket discount is available for groups 50+ people 15% off, and for groups 20+ people 10% off. Student discount of 20% is available when purchased in person with valid student ID.
