Piotr Anderszewski, regarded as one of the outstanding musicians of his generation, will give a free public performance at Ithaca College on Sunday, Feb. 12. Sponsored by the Rachel S. Thaler Concert Pianist Series, the recital will take place at 4 p.m. in Ford Hall, Whalen Center for Music.
The concert program will feature Mozart’s Fantasie and Sonate (K 475 and 457), Chopin’s Polonaise Fantaisie op. 61 and Mazurkas op. 59, and Bach’s English Suite No. 6.
Anderszewski recently resumed performing after taking a break from his concert schedule. His Ithaca College appearance will be his first in the U.S. following a tour of Europe, and right before a return engagement at Carnegie Hall.
Recognized for the intensity and originality of his interpretations, Anderszewski has been singled out for several high-profile honors throughout his career, including the prestigious Gilmore Artist Award, given every four years to a pianist of exceptional talent.
His collaborations with orchestra have included appearances with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chicago and London Symphony Orchestras, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Orchestra of the Royal Concertgebouw. The latest addition to Anderszewski’s discography is a critically acclaimed CD featuring Bach’s English Suites Nos. 1, 3 and 5, which received the Gramophone award for best instrumental disc and an ECHO Klassik award, both in 2015.
Anderszewsk is the subject of “Unquiet Traveler,” a revealing 2008 documentary that follows the artist on a concert tour by train through his native Poland. The film captures his impromptu performances at various stops, and records him practicing on a Steinway in his private railway car while offering reflections on music, performance and his Polish-Hungarian roots.
Established in 1991 in honor of a talented pianist and longtime Ithaca College supporter, the Rachel S. Thaler Concert Pianist Series has brought to the college such world-class virtuosos as Vadym Kholodenko, Yefim Bronfman, Gilbert Kalish and Garrick Ohlsson.
For more information, visit www.ithaca.edu/thaler/piano.