An intimate evening of world-class classical piano, drinks, and dessert
We are thrilled to have Mikhail Voskresensky, one of the most famous Russian pianists of our time, back to Lilacs for an intimate evening of piano, drinks, and dessert.
As the Moscow Conservatory’s chair of the piano department for many decades, Mr. Voskresensky trained many of today’s top pianists. As a master performer himself, Mr. Voskresensky has played with over 150 conductors around the world over the last 60 years. He is known for his command of contrasting musical colors and his soulful legato technique.
In June 2022, Mr. Voskresensky fled Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in protest, making his new home in New York. He is as committed to classical piano as ever. As he said in an interview with The Atlantic, “I never wanted to be a political person. I’m a man of the arts.”
It’s a special treat for us to have a living legend with us for Lilacs. Look forward to seeing many of you.
Thursday, February 29 — doors open at 7pm — recital starts 7:30pm — drinks and dessert reception with the pianist afterwards until 10pm at our apartment near Broadway and 29th Street in Manhattan. For photos/videos of previous Lilacs events, see here, including Mr. Voskresensky’s last Lilacs performance here.
To RSVP, go to the Eventbrite page here. As always, 100% of the proceeds will go to the pianist.
About Mikhail Voskresensky
Renowned Russian pianist Mikhail Voskresensky has for more than 60 years continued an intensive schedule of concerts around the world. The top prize winner of many international piano competitions, including the first Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Voskresensky has captivated audiences with his electrifying interpretations of the great piano literature of all styles.
Born in the city of Berdyansk, Ukraine, Voskresensky graduated from the Moscow Conservatory. His teachers were the famous Lev Oborin (first prize winner of the First Chopin Competition in Warsaw), Ilia Klyachko, Jacob Milstein, Boris Zemliansky, and Leonid Roizman (organ). Voskresensky’s career began with his performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in Warsaw with the Bolshoi Theatre orchestra under the baton of Yevgeny Svetlanov. In 1957, he premiered Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 at the Prague Spring Festival in the presence of the composer, who highly esteemed his performance.
Voskresensky’s YouTube channel “Mikhail Voskresensky – pianist” includes more than 100 videos and recordings of his recitals and concertos with orchestras. His most recent recordings: all 27 piano concertos of Mozart, all 5 piano concertos of Beethoven along with the Choral Fantasy, and many recitals.
Voskresensky is the distinguished professor of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory and chair of its piano faculty. Since 1992 he has also served as the guest professor of Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo. His pupils have won more than 120 international prizes, including 61 gold medals. Between them Varvara Nepomniatschaya, Stanislav Igolinsky, Temirzhan Erzhanov, Yury Favorin, Alexander Guindin, Amir Tebenikhin, Sergei Koudriakov, Evelina Vorontsova, Alexey Nabiulin, Mikhail Yanovitsky, Oleg Marshev, Sergey Neller, Alexey Kurbatov, Yuri Martynov and many others…
He has judged many international competitions as well, including the Tchaikovsky and Scriabin (as chairman of the jury) competitions in Moscow.
Among many other awards, Voskresensky has been honored with the People’s Artist of Russia (1989), the highest artistic recognition in Russia; membership in the Japanese order of The Rising Sun; the Russian Imperial Order of Saint Anna; and the Nikolai Rubinstein Gold Medal of the Moscow Conservatory.
The program
Haydn – Piano Sonata in E minor HobXVI:34, L. 53
Mozart – Rondo in A minor, K. 511
Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 no. 2 (“Moonlight”)
Scriabin – Prelude and Nocturne for left hand, Op. 9
Prokofiev – Piano Sonata No. 8 in B-flat Major, Op. 84