Concert and Exhibition Opening
July 29, 2021
Exhibition Opening Meet the Artis - 6:00 pm
Solo Piano Concert - 7:00 pm
Stride Arts Exhibition Hall
1110 2 Ave F2, New York, NY 10022
The Modern Art Meets Chamber Music series continues with a solo piano concert, Romantic Landscapes, adorning the exhibition opening of Melody in Smoke by New York-based Armenian painter Mher Khachatryan. Italian-born pianist Sandro Russo, acclaimed for his profound sense of poetry and distinctive style, will present a rich collection of Romantic masterpieces, featuring works by Schumann, Chopin, as well as four of the most dazzling and highly evocative Transcendental Etudes by Liszt. Surrounding the music will be Mher Khachatryan’s mesmerizing interpretation of the lingering connection between darkness and light, the living and the dead, the past and the present: smoke. Created from extinguished flame, smoke carries the remnants of light and life, hinting life’s fragility. Through masterful oil painting, Khachatryan’s captures the ethereal, delicate, and elusive nature of smoke, reminding us to stay connected to this world and the one beyond.
Concert: Romantic Landscapes
Program
Sandro Russo
Concert Pianist
Robert Schumann (1810-1856):
Arabeske in C major, Op. 18
Franz Liszt (1811-1886):
Vallée d’Obermann (from Années de pèlerinage I, Suisse)
From 12 Études d’exécution trascendante:
No. 7, Eroica
No. 8, Wilde Jagd
No. 3, Paysage
No. 4, Mazeppa
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849):
Nocturne in B major, Op. 9 no. 3
Scherzo no. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31
Meet the Musician
Acclaimed for his profound sense of poetry and distinctive style, Sandro Russo’s playing has often been referred to as a throwback to the grand tradition of elegant pianism and beautiful sound. Composer Lowell Liebermann wrote of him, “Sandro Russo is a musician's musician and a pianist's pianist. There is no technical challenge too great for him, but it is his musicianship that ultimately makes the greatest impression. His interpretations reveal a unique and profound artist at work.”
Born in San Giovanni Gemini, Italy, Mr. Russo displayed exceptional musical talent from an early age. He later entered the V. Bellini Conservatory, from which institution he graduated summa cum laude. He also earned the Pianoforte Performing Diploma from the Royal College of Music in London with honors. Soon after Mr. Russo moved to the United States in 2000, he won the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Concerto Competition, and has ever since performed in such prestigious concert halls as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Weill and Zankel halls at Carnegie Hall, Kilbourn Hall (Eastman Theatre), Salle Cortot in Paris, Teatro Politeama in Palermo, the Konzerthaus Berlin and Stoller Hall in Manchester (UK).
His recitals include performances for The Rachmaninoff Society, the Dame Myra Hess series in Chicago, the American Liszt Society, the Houston International Piano Festival, the Husum Festival of Piano Rarities in Germany, the Chetham's International Piano Festival in Manchester (UK) and the Fernando Laires series at the Eastman Theatre. Mr. Russo has appeared as a soloist with the Slovak Philharmonic in Bratislava, the Jacksonville Symphony in Florida and the Brussels Chamber Orchestra, among others. His performances have aired on all the major radio stations in the US and abroad.
His albums include, among others, Scarlatti Recreated, Russian Gems: Piano Rarities, Rachmaninov – Solo Piano Works and Images et Mirages: Hommage à Debussy. The latter, released to critical acclaim in October 2018 on the Steinway & Sons label, was chosen “Disc of the Month” by Italy’s Classic Voice magazine and was also featured in Gramophone’s “Sounds of America.” On October 4, 2019, Steinway & Sons released Mr. Russo’s newest recording, Chopin – Late Masterpieces.
Sandro Russo is a Steinway Artist.
