THE LURE OF PARIS: Roustem Saïtkoulov, Piano

"Intelligence, nobility, elegance and transparency distinguish pianist Roustem Saïtkoulov’s technical and musico-structural approach" legendary conductor Sir Neville Marriner has said of Saitkoulov, "enabling him to deliver a powerful musical statement by way of well-balanced interpretations."
This is Saïtkoulov's second performance ever in the Boston area, after a standing-room-only concert at the French Cultural Center nearly a year ago.
Schedule and Program
6:15 pm  Doors open for seating
7:00 pm  Concert begins   Frederic CHOPIN                  Ballade No. 1 op. 23                            (1831-1835)                                                   Ballade No. 2 op. 38                            (1836-1839)                                                   Ballade No. 3, op. 47                           (1841)                                                    Ballade No. 4, op. 52                          (1842-1843)7:50 pm  Intermission   Claude DEBUSSY                 Images, 1ere Serie                              (1904-1905)                                                  1. Reflets dans l'eau                                                  2. Hommage a Rameau                                                  3. Mouvement
    Igor STRAVINSKY               Trois Mouvements de Petrushka       (1921)
9:00 pm  Concert ends
The Lure of Paris
The program features two Eastern European composers, the polish Chopin and the Russian Stravinsky, who spent much of their creative life in Paris, as well as a French composer, born near Paris, who was significantly influenced by Eastern European composers including Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky. While Stravinsky's career was launched by and very closely associated with Sergey Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, Debussy also composed for the Ballets Russes, and even Chopin's music was used in one of the troupe's most beloved ballets, Les Sylphides.
"One appreciates the remarkable technical potential of Roustem Saïtkoulov, but even more the musical prospective he conveys. Saitkoulov does not over-exploit his considerable abilities, but is most sensitively aware of the poetical assence of the music he plays." Alain Cochard, Diapason
Roustem Saïtkoulov began his training in the Kazan Conservatory at age 6, earned his Soloist's Diploma from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow under Elisso Virsaladze and his Master's from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich. He has won prizes in numerous international competitions, most notably at Italy's Busoni Competition as well as Rome Piano Competition, the Marguerite Long Competition in Paris and the Grand Prix of the Montecarlo World Piano-Masters. He has appeared with leading orchestras such as London's Royal Philharmonic, the Monte Carlo Philharmonic, Prague Symphony, Sinfonia Varsovia, RAI Symphony Orchestra, Zurich's Tonhalle Orchestra , St-Petersburg Philharmonic, Tokyo New City Orchestra and Beijing Symphony. In addition to appearing with solo recitals in the great concert halls of 5 continents, as well as participating in top music festivals (Montreux, La Roque d’Anthéron, Yokohama, Bologna, Merano, Brescia-Bergamo, Edinburgh, Piano aux Jacobins, etc), Mr. Saitkoulov has made many recordings (including for EMI Classics) as well as had his concerts aired on TV and Radio (France 2, France 3 and Mezzo, Radio Classique, NDR Kultur, etc)."Roustem Saitkoulov has a high-class Russian-trained technique" Gramophone magazine has declared, "His disc of Etudes is an imaginative debut selection...and grandly articulated."