Pianist Nikolai Lugansky—described by Gramophone as “the most trailblazing and meteoric performer of all” — will perform at Ithaca College on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Free and open to the public, the concert will be held at 8:15 p.m. in Ford Hall of the James J. Whalen Center for Music.
Lugansky’s program will feature Beethoven’s Sonata No. 30 in E major, Sonata No. 23 in F minor (“Appassionata”) and Sonata No. 28 in A major; and Franck’s Prélude, Choral et Fugue. The performance is sponsored by the Rachel S. Thaler Concert Pianist Series.
Known for combining elegance and grace with powerful virtuosity, Lugansky is a true incarnation of the Russian tradition on the international classical stage. He regularly works with top-level conductors and orchestras, and appears at some of the most distinguished international festivals. He serves as artistic director of the Tambov Rachmaninov Festival and is also a supporter of, and regular performer at, the Rachmaninov Estate and Museum of Ivanovka.
Lugansky’s CD of Rachmaninov’s Piano Sonatas won the Diapason d’Or, while his recording of concertos by Grieg and Prokofiev with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin was a Gramophone Editor’s Choice. He won the Silver Medal at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 1994, and in 2013 he was awarded the honor of People’s Artist of Russia.
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.