Ithaca College Concerts Series Will Present Pianist Emanuel Ax

Grammy Award - winning pianist Emanuel Ax will open the yearlong Ithaca College Concerts series "Introduction and Preludes" on Tuesday, October 22, in Ford Hall. The performance will begin at 8:15 p.m. and feature Bach's Partita no. 1; Beethoven's Variations in F major and Variations and Fugue in E-flat Major (the Eroica Variations); and Chopin's Polonaise-Fantasie in A-flat, Three Mazurkas, and Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise. A pre-concert lecture by assistant professor of piano Charis Dimaras is set for 7:30 p.m. in the Iger Lecture Hall. Preferred seating will be held in the concert hall for those attending the lecture.

Tickets to the entire three-concert series, which includes performances by violinist Midori and baritone Nathan Gunn, are available by calling 274-3169.

Prices for season tickets are as follows:

• Children, senior citizens, and Ithaca College Students --- $24.00
• Ithaca College alumni, faculty, staff, and administrators; Friends of Ithaca College; other students --- $39.50
• General public --- $48.00

Tickets for just the Emanuel Ax concert are also available at the Clinton House ticket center, at the Willard Straight Hall box office at Cornell University, and at the door, if seats are available.

Prices for the single performance are as follows:

• Children, senior citizens, and Ithaca College Students --- $10.00
• Ithaca College alumni, faculty, staff, and administrators; Friends of Ithaca College; other students --- $16.50
• General public --- $20.00

Born in Poland, Ax began to study the piano at the age of six. When his family moved to North America in 1961, he continued his studies at the Juilliard School. He captured public attention in Tel Aviv in 1974 when, at age 25, he won the first Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition. He went on to win the Michaels Award of Young Concert Artists, as well as the coveted Avery Fisher Prize.

Renowned for his poetic temperament, unsurpassed virtuosity, and the exceptional breadth of his performing activity, Ax has appeared worldwide with major orchestras, as a recitalist, and in a variety of chamber music collaborations. In addition to performing in New York, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, and Saint Louis, he makes regular festival appearances at Aspen, the Hollywood Bowl, and Tanglewood. His recent European appearances have included performances with the DSO Berlin and Orchestre National de France.

Ax frequently performs duo recitals with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and their recordings together have earned three Grammy Awards. Ax also received a Grammy for his Brahms Trio recording with Yo-Yo Ma and Richard Stoltzman.

In addition to his concert performance, Ax will teach a master class in the School of Music on Wednesday, October 23, at 10:00 a.m. in the Hockett Family Recital Hall.