Saturday, January 28th
3:00 PM
Burroughs & Saden – Fine Arts Room

The Piano and the Imagination of the Folk

With the wild rhythms and intoxicating harmonies of folk music, this concert will set the keys of the piano on fire! We will travel across Europe from Spain to Poland, dancing flamenco with Albeniz and the mazurka with Szymanowski, and then cross the Atlantic and come to the land of the blues. Explore with us the intricacy and power of four hands on one piano with duets by Infante and Dvorak. A must hear program that will enchant audiences across all ages.

Selections:

Infante – Ritmo from Danses Andalouses
Albéniz – Iberia – selections
Chopin – Polonaise op. 53
Schumann – Fantasy Pieces op. 12
Szymanowski – Mazurkas Op. 50
Joplin – Maple Leaf Rag
“Jelly Roll” Morton – Wild Man Blues
Dvořák – Slavonic Dances op.72

Artist Biographies

A native of Sarasota, Florida, pianist, lecturer, and teacher Matthew Harrison holds a Master of Music degree from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, where he now teaches Piano Literature, Concerto Literature, and Advanced Piano Literature in the school’s Precollege Division. An active performer, Mr. Harrison has been heard often in New York. He hosted in 2010 a seven part lecture recital series celebrating the 200th year anniversary of the birth of Frederic Chopin at the Polish American Museum in Port Washington. This series was the inaugural event for “Masterwork Conversations,” his new project with fellow pianist and friend Vlada Yaneva, which is focused on creating a stronger bond between audiences and music through an open conversation with the performers.

Vlada Yaneva began her piano studies at the age of six at the National School of Music in her native Sofia, Bulgaria where she graduated with high honors. She early on garnered prizes in numerous competitions, including the 2000 Young Musical Talent National Competition (Sofia), the 1999 Dimitar Nenov Competition for Young Pianists (Razgrad), and the 1996 National Competition for German and Austrian Music (Burgas). Music has taken Vlada to stages in Italy, France, Finland, Bulgaria, Greece, England and the United States, notably at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Ms. Yaneva has been bringing “Masterwork Conversations” to audiences in the New York area since 2010.