On May 16, at 8:00pm, Anastasia Rizikov will be featured on WSKG’s "Expressions-Classical Series". Anastasia is very busy giving concerts and learning new repertoire.

Your pals at Classical Pianists of the Future

Stephan Pikarsky grew up in Syracuse, New York, where he studied piano with John Spradling. He is a two-time winner of the Civic MorningMusicals/Syracuse Symphony Youth Concerto Competition, which enabled him to debut with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra at the age of 12 performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, as well as the Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major in 2006.

Stephen has won several other competitions including first place in every division of the Centrl New York Association of Music Teachers Advanced Piano Competition, the 2004 International Chopin Competition of the Thousand Islands, the 2004 Ithaca College Piano Competition, and the 2005 Geneseo Young Artists Piano Concerto Competition.

As a prizewinner of the 2005 World Piano Competition, Pikarsky also garnered invitations to perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, and the Moscow Conservatory. He has appeared in master classes with Jon Nakamatsu, Diane Walsh, Agnela Cheng, Alvin Chow, Grant Cooper, and Daniel Hege.

Dear Friends,

     Just a reminder of our concert this Sunday featuring young pianist Stephen Pikarsky in a very dynamic program including:

     J.S. Bach: partita No. 1 in B-flat Major BWV 825

     Ravel: Sonatine

     Brahms; Paganini Variations Op. 35 Book 1

     Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op.53 "Waldstein"

      Liszt: Rhapsodie espagnole, S.254

     Read the very interesting story about Stephen written by Chris Kocher in today’s "GOOD TIMES."

     Event: Sunday, March 17 at 3:00pm at Tri Cities Opera Center, 315 Clinton Street. Adult $20. Students, Free.

     Call Al Williams, 748-2231 with any questions or to reserve tickets.

Let us tell it like it is; the only thing to follow one of Stephen Pikarsky’s performances is (a very good piano technician)!

Mr. Pikarsky grew up in Syracuse, NY, where he has studied piano with John Spradling. Stephen has won many competitions and even more accolades –  considering his exciting, spirited, and brilliant performances. As a prizewinner of the 2005 World Piano Competition, Stephen garnered invitations to perform at Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, and the Moscow Conservatory. He has appeared in masterclasses with Van Cliburn Gold Medal winner Jon Nakamatsu, Diane Walsh, Angela Cheng, Alvin Chow, Grant Cooper and Daniel Hege.

Mr. Pikarsky will perform for your enjoyment the following program at the Tri-Cities Opera Center, 315 Clinton Street, Binghamton, NY, at 3:00pm, on Sunday, March 17. 

J. S. Bach: partita No. 1 in B-flat major BWV 825;  Ravel: Sonatine (and) Alborada del gracioso, from Miroirs;  Brahms: Paganini Variations Op. 35 Book 1;  Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 "Waldstein";  Liszt: Rhapsodie espagnole, S.254

Doors Open at 2:30.  Tickets by subscription (or) Adults $20 at the door, Students through grade 12 – FREE, College students with student ID – FREE

It’s said that youth is wasted on the young. Not in the case of pianist Gretchen Hull, who is both very young and musically mature.

Hull, who taped a segment of Expressions Oct. 25 befoe a select audience in the state-of-the-art WSKG studio in Vestal, played piano with a technical virtuosity and expressiveness that belies her age. She’s a recent college grad, so she’s probably at least in her late teens or early 20s, but she looks about 16. With long, long, graceful fingers and arms that recall the fluid motion of the solo ballerina in Swan Lake, she tossed off incredibly difficult and physically punishing works by Bach, Beethoven, Messiaen, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and more.

Her piano touch ranges from velvety soft to hugely aggressive and percussive.  Her face reflects the same huge range of emotions, from despair to delight, from tenderness to turbulence, which she injects into the music and projects to the audience.

A master’s degree student at Temple University, Hull is the latest prodigy to be featured by the Classical Pianists of the Future program. Twice yearly, Classical Pianists founders Al Williams and Lance Hill produce concerts by up-and-coming young pianists, who perform on a very fine Bechstein concert grand piano housed at the Tri-Cities Opera Center in Binghamton. As Williams explained it, there’s very little opportunity for young would-be concert pianists to shine in solo recitals not linked to major competitions. Recitals like this are designed to launch a concert career. Hull’s appearance is this Sunday (Nov. 4).

As a bonus for the Expressions audience, Hull apparently wasn’t totally satisfied with her performance of the Beethoven Sonata Op. 81, a programmatic work depicting a heart-wrenching farewell, malancholy absence and a joyous reunion. She played the work a second time, as the cameras rolled. To this fairly musically educated listener, there wasn’t much difference in the two takes – both were superb.

A highlight of the program, Hull played a Messiaen piece depicting various scenes from the life of the infant Jesus. Both a lullabye to the baby, and a reaction to a kiss received from the baby, the piece is all rapturous sonorities and dissonances, best listened to with one’s eyes closed.

As icing on the cake, she tossed off a lightning-fast encore – Chopin’s Black Key Etude. When this Expressions show airs, don’t adjust your sets. Yes, her hands were a complete blur.

NOTE:  As our site has a world-wide audience it should be explained that PBS Radio/TV Station WSKG is located in Vestal, NY and covers a large portion of New York State and Pennsylvania. A DVD of Gretchen Hull’s Expressions show may be purchased by contacting the station  www.WSKG.org

Currently earning her master’s degree at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University under Charles Abramovic, Gretchen Hull is a 2011 graduate of Houghton College where she studied piano performance under Leon Fleisher student William Newbrough.  Gretchen has appeared multiple times on the Civic Morning Musical Wednesday Recital Series at the Hosmer Auditorium, Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York and has performed live and been interviewed on WCNY. 

She was the recipient of the Greatbatch School of Music’s Presidential Scholarship for the class of 2011, and was Houghton’s 2010 Presser Scholar.  As a winner of the 2009 Greatbatch School of Music and the 2005-06 Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestra concerto competitions, she has performed with the Houghton Philharmonic and the Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestra and in a variety of chamber settings.

Other previous teachers include Ms. Rebecca Penneys, Professor of Piano at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, Dr. Michael Landrum, Professor of Piano and Film at Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, New York, Dr. Samuel Hsu, Distinguished Professor of Music and Chair of Keyboard Studies at Philadelphia Biblical University, and Monique Leduc.

Dear Friends of Classical Pianists of the Future

     The recent appearances of pianist Gretchen Hull, both on WSKG’s "Expressions-Classical Series" program, and at CPOTF’s concert at the Tri Cities Opera Center, were critically acclaimed.

     Please take a few minutes and address the Broome County Arts Council,specifically under its first selection, Broome Arts Mirror, to view Lee Shepherd’s review.

     Gretchen is happily back at Temple further honing her skills as a pianist, and expertise in her knowledge of music.

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An early look at our March 17th 2013 concert

     Pianist Stephen Pikarsky will light up the mighty Bechstein as he joins us on Sunday, March 17th, at 3:00 pm at the Tri Cities Opera Center at 315 Clinton Street in Binghamton.

     Stephen is scheduled to perform:

     Bach: Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, BWV 825

     Ravel: Sonatine

     Ravel: Alborada del gracioso from Miroirs

     Brahms: Paganini Variations Op. 35 Book 1

     Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 "Waldstein"

     Liszt: Rhapsodie espagnole, S.254

          Please plan on attending what we can assure you will be an exciting performance……………

     Warmest regards,

      Al, Gary, and Lance G.

      Your friends at Classical Pianists of the Future

DEAR FRIENDS OF CLASSICAL PIANISTS OF THE FUTURE

Tune into WSKG’s "Expressions -Classical Series" program, (Channel 7)

Thursday, November 15, at 8:00pm

To see: Classical Pianists of the Future artist GRETCHEN HULL

Enjoy!!

Al, Gary, and Lance G.