Palm Beach Symphony to Welcome Vladimir Feltsman March 21

In his first full season on the podium with Palm Beach Symphony, music director Gerard Schwarz is enjoying a reunion with acclaimed guest pianist Vladimir Feltsman in a concert livestreamed from the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, March 21 at 3 p.m.

The two celebrated musicians have collaborated several times before including with the Eastern Music Festival, for which Maestro Schwarz is also the music director, and with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, for which he is the conductor laureate. The two most notably were televised in a performance of Live From Lincoln Center of the Mostly Mozart Festival, for which Schwarz is now conductor emeritus. Additionally, in South Florida, Schwarz is the Distinguished Professor of Music, Conducting and Orchestral Studies at University of Miami's Frost School of Music and Music Director of the Frost Symphony Orchestra.

"Upon his arrival in the United States after being allowed to leave the Soviet Union, Vladimir's first recital in North America was at the White House," Schwarz said. "That is just how good he is and it is a rare privilege to now introduce him to the wonderful musicians at Palm Beach Symphony. This world-class concert will be livestreamed into people's homes but Vladimir is equally at home in any of the great concert halls."

Called "...quite simply an amazing pianist!" by the New York Times, Feltsman performs Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27. Mozart performed the work that captures the joys and complexities of his short life in what proved to be his last known public appearance at the piano. In the fall of 2006, Feltsman performed all of the Mozart Piano Sonatas in New York at the Mannes School of Music and NYU's Tisch Center presented by New School on a specially built replica of the Walter fortepiano, which historical records show that Mozart used for composition and performing.

Feltsman is one of the most versatile musicians of our time whose vast repertoire encompasses music from the Baroque era to the 21st century. His extensive discography of more than 60 recordings has been released on the Melodiya, Sony Classical, Musical Heritage and Nimbus labels. Highlights of recent seasons were concerts in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Montevideo and Mexico City, as well as at the Aspen, Ravinia and Verbier Festivals. An American citizen now residing in New York, Feltsman holds the Distinguished Chair of Professor of Piano at the State University of New York, New Paltz, and is a member of the piano faculty at the Mannes College of Music.

Palm Beach Symphony adds three captivating works by 20th century composers to its repertoire in this concert. David Diamond's most popular work, the catchy and carefree Rounds for String Orchestra, prompted his friend Aaron Copland to confess, "I wish I had written that piece." Celebrating the 25th anniversary of George Walker being named as the first African-American winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music, Palm Beach Symphony performs Lyric for Strings, a mesmerizing exploration of the extent to which instruments can mirror our emotions. The concert concludes with Igor Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite, an early foray into the neoclassic style in which he would produce a period of masterpieces.

This concert was generously underwritten by Peter M. Gottsegen/Gottsegen Family Foundation in memory of the late Sue Gottsegen. Mr. Gottsegen was married 53 years to his late wife and wrote, "We respected each other; we listened to each other, we enjoyed each other's company; we liked making each other happy; we supported each other during the disappointments and celebrated the triumphs together; and we made each other laugh and had fun....I couldn't have asked for anything more."

Palm Beach Symphony is pleased to join with season sponsor HSS Florida to offer their healthcare workers and employees free access to the concert in recognition of the high quality care and skilled, compassionate, reliable service they provide to our community in a safe and healing environment.

The Masterworks Series continues with guest cellist Julian Schwarz Monday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. and guest pianist Alexander Toradze Saturday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. The Symphony hopes to perform the remainder of the season at the Kravis Center as a mix of livestreaming and select seating.

The concert will be broadcast digitally in high-quality video and audio which can be viewed for an entire week following the concert on computers, tablets, smartphones and TVs. Subscription passes for the three concerts in the Masterworks series are $75 with virtual passes to individual concerts available for $30 at www.palmbeachsymphony.org and by phone at (561) 281-0145.

All dates, times, programs, artists, venues and ticket prices are subject to change without notice.

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