In Los Altos Hills: Alexander Ghindin

Steinway Society The Bay Area, the non-profit organization dedicated to promoting excellence in piano performance and music education in the Bay Area, continues its 20th Anniversary Piano Series by presenting renowned Russian-born pianist Alexander Ghindin. Acclaimed by critics as one of the most talented and original pianists today, Mr. Ghindin is lauded for his commanding on-stage presence and ability to demonstrate a level of musical mastery that makes his performances unforgettable. Mr. Ghindin will perform at 7:30pm on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at the Smithwick Theatre, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills. For tickets ($40-$60, discounts available for seniors/students) and more information the public may call (408) 990-0872 or visit www.steinwaysociety.com.

Alexander Ghindin was born in Moscow in 1977, and established himself as one of the most sought-after pianists of his generation after becoming the youngest laureate of Moscow’s International Tchaikovsky Competition at the age of seventeen. By 2006 Mr. Ghindin was named an “Honored Artist of Russia.” The following year, the virtuoso won First Prize at the International Piano Competition in Cleveland and was engaged for over fifty concerts in the United States. He went on to win First Prize at the International Piano Competition of Santa Catarina in Brazil. The Plain Dealer noted, “Ghindin is a dynamic artist who wraps his heart around lyrical phrases.” Everything about the Piano World has also commented, “In Alexander Ghindin we are fortunate to find the perfect combination of artist and musician. His whisper, like that of great tragic actors of the past, is heard clearly even in the last row of the balcony, and his ‘shout’ never exceeds that of genuine emotion. He has total control of the Hall, speaking to each listener personally, conveying the innermost meaning of the piece he is playing.”

Mr. Ghindin has released twenty-four CDs with recording companies around the world such as Decca, Capriccio, Ondine, Tri-M Classics, and Russian Season (the Russian partner of Le Chant du Monde). He has also collaborated with acclaimed conductors, including Vladmir Ashkenazy, Paavo Järvi, Arnold Katz, and Fuat Mansurov.

For this concert, Mr. Ghindin will perform Tchaikovsky’s “Dumka: Russian Rustic Scene, Op. 59,” Glinka’s “The Lark: A Farewell to St. Petersburg,” Liadov’s “Bacarolle in F-Sharp Major, Op. 44,” 12 of Scriabin’s “24 Preludes, Op. 11,” Medtner’s “Funeral March in E Minor from Three Morceaux, Op. 31,” Medtner’s “Allegro cantabile e leggiero in E Minor from Four Fairy Tales, Op. 34,” “March of the Paladin in E Minor from Two Fairy Tales, Op. 14,” Medtner’s “Campanella in B Minor from Two Fairy Tales, Op. 20,” Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67,” and Rachmaninoff’s “Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 36.”

The Steinway Society’s 20th Annual Piano Series will continue with the lauded duo Natalia Lavrova and Vassily Primakov on April 18 and will conclude with piano master Sofya Gulyak on May 17. For a full schedule of the season’s pianists and the works to be performed, visit www.steinwaysociety.com

Founded in 1994, Steinway Society The Bay Area is a non-profit volunteer-based organization with a mission “to promote excellence in piano performance and music education in the Bay Area.” The organization is now recognized as a cultural gem of San Jose and the entire South Bay Area, highly regarded for offering a unique set of piano recitals in intimate, elegant settings across the region.