The critically acclaimed Hermitage Piano Trio will perform Wednesday, March 18, at 7:30 p.m. in Ice Auditorium in Melrose Hall at Linfield College.
The Trio, made up of Misha Keylin on violin, Sergey Antonov on cello and Ilya Kazantsev on piano, will perform “Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor, Op. 8” by Shostakovich; “Trio Elégiaque No. 2 in D minor, Op. 9” by Rachmaninoff; and “Piano Trio in D minor, Op 49” by Mendelssohn. The performance is presented in collaboration with Friends of Chamber Music.
Descending from the great Russian musical tradition, the Hermitage Piano Trio is distinguished by its exuberant musicality, interpretative range and sumptuous sound. It excels at performing an enormous range of music and has a wide repertoire from Shostakovich, Arensky and Tchaikovsky to Haydn, Beethoven, Dvorak and Brahms.
The Trio is made up of three musicians who are noted soloists in their own right. In a career already spanning 45 countries on five continents, violinist Keylin released a CD series of the seven Henri Vieuxtemps violin concertos. These recordings have already sold over 120,000 copies worldwide and garnered numerous press accolades and awards. Antonov, hailed as “a brilliant cellist” by the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich, became one of the youngest cellists ever awarded the gold medal at the world’s premier musical contest, the quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Competition. Antonov’s entry into this elite stratum of sought-after classical artists has already placed him on stages at world-renowned venues from Russia’s Great Hall at the Moscow Conservatory to Suntory Hall in Tokyo. A passionate interpreter of his native Russian repertoire, pianist Kazantsev has been hailed by the Washington Post as “virtually flawless.” He has performed as a recitalist and soloist with orchestra extensively in Russia and the United States, as well as appearing in Germany, Japan, Italy, France, Canada, Ukraine, Belarus and Slovenia.
In the 2013-14 season, the Trio embarked on a major project in recognition of the 140th anniversary of Rachmaninoff’s birth. The members of the Hermitage Piano Trio have taught at the Eastman School of Music, Boston University, Oberlin College and the Tanglewood Music Center. Antonov is the artistic director of the concert series for the Chamber Music Foundation of New England.
The concert is sponsored by the Linfield Department of Music Linfield Lively Arts Series, which features guest artists in concerts and in outreach activities, including master classes, open rehearsals and “Meet the Musicians” events with students and local audiences. It is also in collaboration with Friends of Chamber Music.
Tickets are $10 at the door and free for Linfield students with current ID. For more information, call 503-883-2275 or visit www.linfield.edu/arts.
