by Peter Feher

When the first notes sounded in Mixon Hall on August 7, the star of the afternoon’s program was nowhere to be seen. Stanislav Khristenko would only sneak onstage after the fourth movement of Schubert’s “Trout” Quintet had already started. It was a playfully modest entrance — that is, until he took up the theme in this sparkling set of variations for piano and strings.

Then, you heard all the qualities that make for a stunning soloist. Winner of the 2013 Cleveland International Piano Competition, Khristenko was back in town this month for a recital in Piano Cleveland’s summer series, Piano Days @CLE. And he couldn’t help but revel in the spotlight a little, even as he settled into a more collaborative role at the keyboard for his program, “Stanislav and Friends.” [Read more…]