Pianist Pavel Kolesnikov Performs Tonight at Carnegie Hall Tonight

Russian pianist Pavel Kolesnikov, Prize Laureate of the 2012 Honens International Piano Competition and a BBC New Generation Artist (a program that provides opportunities to develop live and recorded performances, including broadcasts with the BBC orchestras), makes his New York debut at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, tonight, March 24, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. Mr. Kolesnikov will perform works by Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann and Scriabin.

Mr. Kolesnikov offered his thoughts on creating this program: "Programming a recital is a powerful tool for deeper exploration of great masterpieces. Sometimes the proximity of two pieces can make them shine in a different, refreshing light - or, on the contrary, blur their identity. The dramatic structure of a concert can radically influence our perception.

"Putting a program together is always a long, exciting and painful process. I want neither to provoke nor surprise the listener; my aim is to let the programming serve the music. I use intuition as much as logic."

The Honens International Piano Competition takes place every three years as part of the annual Honens Festival - Canada's International Festival of Piano. The Competition searches for a Complete Pianist - a 21st century artist for 21st century audiences. The Honens Prize Laureate receives $100,000 CAN and an artistic and career development program valued at a half million dollars, the largest prize of its kind. The Quarterfinals (International Audition Round) of the 2015 edition will take place in New York on March 25th and 26th, 2015, with additional Quarterfinal rounds in Berlin (April 10th and 11th, 2015) and London (April 15th and 16th). The Semifinals and Finals will take place in Calgary from September 3-11, 2015.

DETAILS:

Pavel Kolesnikov, Piano

Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.

Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall

(57th Street and Seventh Ave., New York)

Complete program:

Mozart:

Fantasy in C minor K. 457

Schumann:

Fantasy in C major Op. 17

(Intermission)

Scriabin:

Vers la flamme Op. 72

Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp major Op. 30

Beethoven:

Sonata No. 32 in C minor Op. 111

Tickets: $35, $20 ($15 students, at Box Office only), available at carnegiehall.org; by calling CarnegieCharge (212) 247-7800; or by visiting the Carnegie Hall box office: 57th Street and Seventh Avenue.

PAVEL KOLESNIKOV - The Telegraph (London) called pianist Pavel Kolesnikov's January 2014 Wigmore Hall debut "one of the most memorable of such occasions London has witnessed in a while." Since being named Honens Prize Laureate in 2012, Kolesnikov has impressed listeners around the world. His 2014-15 season is filled with significant performances including debuts at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Berlin's Konzerthaus, the Louvre (Paris), the Vancouver Recital Society, and with the London Philharmonic and Toronto Symphony Orchestras. Other significant recital and festival appearances resulting from the Honens Prize include La Jolla Music Society, Spoleto Festival USA, Canada's Ottawa ChamberFest and Banff Summer Festival, and the United Kingdom's Plush Music Festival. A live recording of his prize-winning performances, about which the BBC Music Magazine wrote "tremendous clarity, unfailing musicality and considerable beauty", was released on the Honens label in March 2013. His Hyperion recording of Tchaikovsky's intimate The Seasons garnered raves from critics, including those from The Telegraph. The Sunday Times, named it one of the best 100 recordings of 2014, and The New York Times wrote: "That the impressive young pianist Pavel Kolesnikov loves this suite comes through in his elegant playing on this welcome recording."

Now London-based, Kolesnikov was born in Siberia into a family of scientists. He studied both the piano and violin for ten years before concentrating solely on the piano. He has studied at Moscow State Conservatory with Sergey Dorensky, at London's Royal College of Music with Norma Fisher and at Brussels' Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel with Maria João Pires, thanks to the generous support of Christopher D. Budden, the RCM Scholarship Foundation and Hattori Foundation. In fall 2014, Kolesnikov was named one of BBC Radio 3's New Generation Artists for 2014 to 2016, a program that provides opportunities to develop live and recorded performances, including broadcasts with the BBC orchestras.

HONENS - Honens discovers, nurtures and presents Complete Pianists -- 21st century artists for 21st century audiences. Calgary philanthropist Esther Honens dreamed of discovering and launching the careers of the world's most promising pianists. In 1991, she established the Honens Foundation with a gift of $5 million, creating a legacy for musicians and music-lovers around the world. Today, the Honens International Piano Competition takes place every three years as part of the Honens Festival -- Canada's International Festival of Piano. The Honens Prize for Piano -- $100,000 CAN and an artistic and career development program valued at a half million dollars -- is the largest prize of its kind. Honens is a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions.