Park University ICM Orchestra Will Perform Annual Valentine's Concert Next Month

The Park University International Center for Music Orchestra will perform its annual valentine's concert on Friday, Feb. 7, starting at 7:30 p.m. in Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel on the University's flagship Parkville Campus. Admission to the concert is free, but attendees are asked to RSVP in advance.

The program will be under the direction of guest conductor Jason Seber, former associate director of the Kansas City Symphony (2016-22). Known for his inviting and engaging approach on and off the podium, Seber is a strong believer in the eclectic experiences which today's symphony orchestras offer their communities. He strives to make music of many genres and styles accessible, relevant and meaningful to diverse audiences across the country. Prior to his Kansas City Symphony post, Seber served as education and outreach conductor of the Louisville (Ky.) Orchestra (2013-16) and music director of the Louisville Youth Orchestra (2005-16).

The concert will feature pianist Ilya Shmukler, International Center for Music graduate student, who dazzled the jury and audience as the winner of the Concours Géza Anda Piano Competition in Zurich, Switzerland, in June 2024. He will be a soloist on “Symphonic Variations for Piano and Orchestra,” composed by César Franck.

Shmukler is no stranger to competing on the international stage. The 30-year-old has participated twice in one of the renowned international music contests — the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. In 2017, prior to becoming a Park ICM student, Shmukler advanced to the Cliburn's quarterfinal round. At the 2022 Cliburn (the quadrennial competition was delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Shmukler was one of six finalists and earned an additional prize for “Best Performance of a Mozart Concerto.” A native of Tomilino, Russia, Shmukler has studied at the Park ICM since 2019 under the tutelage of Stanislav Ioudenitch, who was the co-gold medalist of the Cliburn competition in 2001. Shmukler earned a graduate certificate in music performance in 2021 and a graduate artist's diploma in music performance in 2023, and he is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in performance from Park. He also earned a master's degree from the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory.

The program will also include the following works:

• “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525” (also known as “Serenade No. 13 for Strings in G Major”), composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• “Adoration,” composed by Florence Price and arranged for strings orchestra by Elaine Fine
• “Air and Simple Gifts,” composed by John Williams
• “Serenade for String Orchestra in E Minor, Op. 20,” composed by Sir Edward Elgar
• “Make Our Garden Grow” (from the operetta Candide), composed by Leonard Bernstein and arranged for strings orchestra by Ted Ricketts

For more information about the concert (and a link to RSVP), visit park.edu/park-icm-orchestra-valentines-concert.

The next concert in the International Center for Music's 2024-25 season will be the ICM's 6th annual signature event, Stanislav & Friends, on Saturday, March 1, starting at 7 p.m. at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, Mo. The concert will feature a rich tapestry of Spanish melodies and rhythms. For more information and a link to tickets and sponsorships, visit icm.park.edu/stanislav-friends-2025.

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