The Wallis presents The World Premiere Of LAST THOUGHTS: SCHUBERT'S FINAL WORKS

In the last few months of his short life, prolific Austrian composer Franz Schubert wrote some of the most miraculous music ever created. Now, acclaimed Los Angeles-based pianist Ory Shihor presents the story behind Schubert's last compositions in the world premiere of Last Thoughts: Schubert's Final Works at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 7:30pm. With words by master musical storyteller Hershey Felder, Shihor's program includes the two of three final piano sonatas created by Schubert, who bridged the worlds of Classical and Romantic music in the early nineteenth century. This performance is made possible in part by the generous support of Camille and Arnon Adar.

"Ory came to us with the great idea of mixing music with text to present the last works of Schubert," said Paul Crewes, The Wallis' Artistic Director. "Working with Hershey Felder on text, Ory presents an evening that will be a rare opportunity for our audience to not only experience the beauty of Schubert's music, but also the drama of an artist racing time in order to complete his final work."

"Franz Schubert was always the composer I felt closest to since the first time I heard his music when I was 10," said Shihor. "I was immediately drawn in by the music. It felt like 'home' to me. The music was so descriptive - it immediately told me a story that was oddly familiar yet strangely comforting to me. After sharing this thought with Hershey, our conversation 'zeroed in' on an all Schubert program combined with spoken words written by Hershey. I feel that the juxtaposition of music and text will enhance the entire performing experience for me and the audience, making the concert seem more 'complete' and natural."

Ory Shihor is an award-winning pianist, educator, arts administrator and entrepreneur. He is currently a piano professor at both the Colburn Music Academy and the Colburn Conservatory. His teaching strategies have transformed the playing of hundreds of students over the course of his 20-year career, making him one of the most sought-after and well-respected piano teachers and mentors in the world.

Single tickets are now available for $25 - $75. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit TheWallis.org/Ory, call 310.746.4000, or stop by in person at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Ticket Services located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Ticket prices subject to change.

The Wallis also offers three different options to subscribe to the 2017/18 season: the Premium Subscription Series; the Design-Your-Own option; and the new 3-show Flex Pass for $99, created especially for busy young professionals-39 and younger-giving the most flexibility to join The Wallis family of subscribers. Learn more at TheWallis.org/Subscribe.

In conjunction with the performance, Wallis' restaurant partner Porta Via is offering patrons a special pre-concert meal for $50 beginning at 5pm. The menu can be viewed here, and interested parties can contact Tickets@TheWallis.org for more information.

About Ory Shihor:
Noted for his "strong, flexible technique" (The New York Times), and his individualistic approach as a pianist who has proven he is "not afraid to take risks" (The Washington Post), the award-winning Israeli-American pianist Ory Shihor has impressed audiences and critics from coast to coast and throughout Europe, Australia, Asia and Israel.

Shihor's performance highlights include a 15-city tour with the Liege Philharmonic of Belgium, critically-acclaimed performances of all 32 piano sonatas by Beethoven over eight concerts at Zipper Hall in Los Angeles, and a recording of works by Brahms and Schumann on the German label Sound Starton. Throughout his career, Shihor has performed in prestigious venues and festivals around the world, including The Kennedy Center, Aspen Music Festival, Ravinia Festival in Chicago, The Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, Tonhalle in Germany and 92nd Street "Y" in New York, among many others. The centerpiece of Shihor's 2017-2018 season is the world premiere of the concert-drama Last Thoughts: Schubert's Final Works, written by Hershey Felder, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles.

In addition to his active international career as a concert pianist, Shihor serves on the piano faculty of the Colburn Conservatory, and was the creator and founding dean of the Colburn Music Academy, a pre-college program for highly gifted musicians that attracts applicants from around the world. Driven by his passion for mentoring highly gifted young pianists, he also founded Piano Talent Performance Academy, an elite training institute for pre-conservatory students in Los Angeles. He has won numerous awards including the Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the Washington International Piano Competition. Shihor was also a prizewinner at the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition.

Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Shihor was a recipient of America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarships from the age of 12. As a teenager, he came to the United States to study with Jorge Bolet at the Curtis Institute of Music and later graduated from the Juilliard School in New York, where he received the prestigious Gina Bachauer Prize. He earned his Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. Shihor, a Bösendorfer and Yamaha artist, has also studied under Emanuel Krasovsky and Russell Sherman.

About the program:

Impromptu in F minor D. 935 #1
Impromptu in F minor D. 935 #4
Sonata in C minor D. 958
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Menuetto: Allegro - Trio
IV. Allegro

--15-minute intermission--

Sonata in B flat major D. 960
I. Molto moderato
II. Andante sostenuto
III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace con delicatezza - Trio
IV. Allegro ma non troppo - Presto

Running time will be 2 hours, including a 15-minute intermission.

An interview between Shihor and Felder about the program can be viewed here.

For the complete listing of all Winter @ The Wallis programs visit TheWallis.org/Music.

About the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts:
Since opening its doors in October 2013, The Wallis has produced or presented more than 150 dance, theatre, opera, classical music and family programs to an ever-expanding audience. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Paul Crewes and Managing Director Rachel Fine, The Wallis brings audiences world-class theater, dance and music, performed by many of the world's most talented and sought-after artists. Featuring eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and its notability as the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis offers original and revered works from across the U.S. and around the globe.

The mission of The Wallis is to create, present and celebrate unique performing arts events and educational programs that reflect the rich cultural diversity of our community. Nominated for 47 Ovation Awards, four L.A. Drama Critic's Circle Awards and the recipient of six architectural awards, The Wallis is a breathtaking 70,000-square-foot venue that celebrates the classic and the modern and was designed by Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA of Studio Pali Fekete architects. The building features the restored, original 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places) that serves as the theater's dramatic yet welcoming lobby, and houses the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater, GRoW at The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education (a gift of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family and the Annenberg Foundation) and the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater. Together, these structures embrace the city's history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for L.A.-area visitors and residents alike.

The Official Sponsors of The Wallis' 2017/18 Season include: Delta Air Lines (Official Airline Sponsor), Montage Beverly Hills (Preferred Hotel) and Mercedes-Benz of Beverly Hills (Official Automotive Sponsor).

For more information about The Wallis, please visit: TheWallis.org.

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