Pavel Kolesnikov Archives - Cleveland Classical

Pavel Kolesnikov dazzles with J.S. Bach’s “Goldberg” Variations in Severance recital (Sept. 24)

September 28, 2024 by Daniel Hathaway

by Daniel Hathaway

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — When Johann Sebastian Bach had his “Keyboard exercise, consisting of an ARIA with diverse variations for harpsichord with two manuals” published by Balthasar Schmid in Nuremberg in 1741, he noted in the preface that the work was “composed for connoisseurs, for the refreshment of their spirits.”

Whether or not the sizeable crowd in Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Music Center on Tuesday evening, September 24 regarded themselves as connoisseurs, the powerful ovation at the end of Pavel Kolesnikov’s 75-minute program suggested that their spirits had surely been refreshed — if not profoundly touched — both by the composer’s genius and the pianist’s captivating performance of the Variations. [Read more…]

Severance in Recital: Pavel Kolesnikov Plays J.S. Bach’s “Goldberg” Variations

September 22, 2024 by Mike Telin

by Mike Telin

“I think the Goldberg Variations are one of the greatest achievements of the human mind and human soul of all times. And it is one of the most astonishing architectural creations in music — it’s like a wonder of the world,” pianist Pavel Kolesnikov said during a recent telephone conversation. “And hearing it live is just a tremendous experience that you cannot explain in words.”

On Tuesday, September 24 at 7:30 pm in Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Music Center, the Siberian-born, London-based pianist will perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s Aria and Thirty Variations, aka “The Goldberg Variations,” in a recital sponsored by The Cleveland Orchestra. Tickets are available online.

I caught up with the pianist in England where he was serving on the jury of the Leeds International Piano Competition. I began our conversation by asking him what it was like to move from being a competitor to a juror.

[Read more…]

Cleveland Orchestra’s holiday concerts return with plenty of festive cheer (Dec. 11)

by Stephanie Manning

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — If the twinkling lights, leafy green garlands and festive poinsettias didn’t already clue you in, the holidays have arrived at Severance Music Center. ‘Tis the season for annual traditions — including The Cleveland Orchestra’s holiday concerts, which began on Wednesday evening.

Running through December 22, the programs feature plenty of seasonal classics plus some potential new favorites. The first performance proved that this mix is a delightful recipe for festive cheer.

“Look at you all, out on a school night!” conductor Sarah Hicks proclaimed joyfully from the podium. Just as many concertgoers donned red outfits to get into the spirit, Mandel Concert Hall was also decked out with decorations and stage lighting effects.

[Read on…]

Oberlin Conservatory convincingly tells Omar’s story (Dec. 8)

by Stephanie Manning

The Cleveland premiere of Rhiannon Giddens’ and Michael Abels’ Pultizer Prize-winning opera Omar on December 8 at the Maltz Performing Arts Center proved that concert productions of opera can succeed without sets, elaborate costumes and extensive staging. Indeed, the Oberlin Conservatory presentation offered more than enough to keep the audience in the crowded house enthralled.

The Opera, which was also presented at Oberlin’s Finney Chapel two days earlier, is based on the 1831 autobiography of Muslim scholar Omar ibn Said, the only such work written by an enslaved person during their enslavement, and the only such document written in Arabic.

Rhiannon Giddens’ brilliant libretto chronicles the life of ibn Said, beginning in present-day Senegal and following him through his capture, journey via the Middle Passage, and enslavement in North and South Carolina. [Read on…]

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