This Sunday, it's Russian pianist Vyacheslav Gryaznov performing three compositions in the second program of the MIPF series on Nov. 20.
Giselle Brodsky, the current and founding director of the Miami International Piano Festival since 1997, says that the 24th season of “Classical Sundays At Five” at Aventura Arts & Cultural Center in Aventura has much to offer, especially an impressive lineup of young up and coming classical pianists.
For more than two decades, Brodsky has branded the MIPF series as “Classical Sundays At Five" in reference to all the MIPF programs beginning on Sundays at 5 p.m.
“Surveys taken by our audiences have supported the programs to take place on Sundays at 5 p.m. as the preferred day and time of the concerts and we have been consistent with Sundays at 5 p.m. for all these years,” said Brodsky.
Brodsky scouts and hand-picks the many pianists that have performed for over two decades at Aventura Center and has developed an outstanding reputation among those in classical music circles of finding and grooming great classical pianists.
“What I look for are pianists who are comfortable and charismatic with audiences playing challenging classical masterpieces,” says Brodsky, who receives thousands of requests from budding classical pianists who wish to perform at the Miami International Piano Festival.
“Without a doubt, Giselle (Brodsky) is the guiding force in finding the many talented classical pianists who hone their skills and careers by performing at the Miami International Piano Festival,” says Professor Frank Cooper of the University of Miami Frost School Of Music.
Cooper will introduce and elaborate on both the classical pianists and the compositions that the artists choose to play in each of the seven programs at the MIPF.
This Sunday, it's Russian pianist Vyacheslav Gryaznov performing three compositions in the second program of the MIPF series on Nov. 20.
"What is unique about Gryaznov is how powerful he is at playing the piano. He creates more variations on notes and sequences on the classical masterpieces that are not only unusual but refreshing. Gryaznov performed at last year's Festival to an enthusiastic audience and I am so happy that he will be performing at the Festival again," says Brodsky.
The concert begins with Gryaznov playing “Suite in A Minor”(four pieces) by composer Jean Phillippe Rameau. The four pieces in the composition are: “Allemande,” “Courante,” “Sarabande,” and “Les Trois Mains.”
Gryaznov’s second composition is composer Wolfram Amadeus Mozart’s “Nine Variations on 'Lison Dormait' K264/315D."
"Although Gryaznov is known as a gifted transcriptionist or arranger of classical music for the piano, there are other classical pieces in his repertoire that are less about transcribing and more about his skill as a pianist. His selections from Mozart and Rameau demonstrate his versatility playing the piano without rearrangement," says Brodsky.
After an intermission, Gryaznov teams with piano accompanist Rexa Han in “Piano Concert No. 4 in G Minor, Op. 40 (for two pianos)” by composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. Gryaznov and Ham perform the composition in three parts “Allegro Vivace,” "Largo” and an encore of “Allegro Vivace.”
Gryaznov has won numerous international classical piano competitions and has performed around the world, including in his native Russia. His repertoire includes sonatas to compositions by contemporary artists.
"(He) weaves and arranges Rachmaninoff into a distinguished, innovative composition that highlights the two pianos with multiple variations to be played by both Gryaznov and Ham. Gryaznov brings a refreshingly novel outlook to the Rachmaninoff composition that becomes a work of art that is unique to Gryaznov," says Broadsky.
Julien Libeer.
Pianist Julien Libeer of Belgium performs three compositions in the third program of the MIPF series on Sunday, Jan. 8. Libeer begins the concert with selections by composer Johann Sebastian Bach “Well-Tempered Keyboard” followed by selections by composer Franz Schubert “Schubert Impromptus.” Following the intermission, Libeer performs Schubert’s “Sonata In B Major, D. 960, played in four parts: “Molto Moderato A,” “Ndante Sostenudo,” “Scherzo: Allegro Vivace Con Delicatezza-Trio” and “Allegro Ma Non Troppo-Presto.”
Francesco Libetta.
Italian pianist Francesco Libetta performs four compositions on February 26 in the fourth concert of the MIPF series. Libetta opens the program with composer Felix Mendelssohn’s “Lieder Ohne Worte” consisting of “Op. 38 No. 6 (Duetto)”, “Op. 53 No. 2”, “Op.67 No. 4” and “Op. 62 No.6”. The second composition by Frederick Chopin is “Bolero No. 19”, “Ballade No. 47” and “Scherzo Op. 39”
Following intermission, Libetta performs composer Sergio Prokofieff’s “Sonata Op. 83 No. 7” and closes the program with Beethoven’s “Sonata Op.109, No. 30”.
Libetta is known for his recording of the cycle of all 32 Beethoven Sonatas from 1993-1994
Reed Tetzloff.
American pianist Reed Tetzloff performs the works of four composers in the fifth concert of the MIPF series on March 26. Tetzloff performs Albain Berg’s “Sonata No. 1” followed by composer Charles Ives’ “Three-Page Sonata”.
Following intermission, Tetzloff plays Beethoven’s “Sonata No. 21 In C Major, Op.53, popularly known as “Waldstein” and closes the program with “Sonata No. 3 In F Minor, Op. 5” by composer Johannes Brahms.
Tezloff has won many international piano competitions and is known as an insightful proponent of complex and neglected classical compositions, such as the works of composer Charles Ives.
Florian Noack.
Russian Pianist Florian Noack will perform three compositions in the sixth concert of the MIPF series on April 30. Noack will perform Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major BWV 1048” and “Scheherazade” by Rimsky-Korsakov.
Following intermission, Noack performs composers Liszt and Lyapunov’s “Transcendental Etudes to close the concert.
“Noack’s piano transcriptions of the works of Russian orchestral works by Rachmaninoff, Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky have made him stand out among the world’s great classical pianists,” said Cooper.
Dmitri Ablogin.
Russian pianist Dmitry Ablogin performs three compositions in the seventh and final concert of the MIPF season on May 21. Ablogin will perform Rachmaninoff’s “Moment Musicaux In B Flat Minor, Op. 16 No. 1.
Following intermission, Ablogin performs composer Sergei Taneyev’s “Prelude and Fugue in G-Sharp Minor, Op.29” and closes the program with composer Nikolai Medtner’s “Second Improvisation Op. 47”.
Ablogin is most well-known for winning prizes internationally at many Chopin Music Competitions.
For More Information
Miami International Piano Festival “Classical Sundays At Five” series of classical piano artists performing in seven concerts take place on Sundays at 5 pm at Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188 Street in Aventura. Tickets to all programs range from $45-55 and can be purchased online at aventuracenter.org. For more information, call 305-466-8002.
The seven “Classical Sundays at Five” programs are as follows:
- October 23 “Concerto Night” teams the Miami International Piano Festival Symphony Orchestra with a trio of classical pianists (Stephen Beus, Kemal Gekic and Nikolay Khozyainov in a program of concertos by Beethoven, Chopin and Mendelssohn.
- November 20 Russian pianist Vyachevslav Gryaznov performs works by Mozart, Rameau and Rachmaninoff.
- January 8 Pianist Julien Libeer of Belgium performs works of Bach and Schubert.
- February 26 Italian pianist Francesco Libetta performs compositions of Chopin, Mendelssohn and Prokofieff.
- March 26 American pianist Reed Tezloff performs the works of Beethoven, Berg, Brahms and Ives.
- April 30 Russian pianist Florian Noack performs compositions by Bach, Linz, Lyapunov, and Rimsky-Korsakov.
- May 21 Russian pianist Dmitry Ablogin performs works by Medtner, Rachmaninoff and Taneyev.
