February 14, 2016
5:00 PM
Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall
in Benaroya Hall
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Tickets: Valentine’s Day Special-$10 off two adult tickets, Adults-$30, Seniors-$22, College Students-$10, Kids up to 18-Free
Performers
Eleonora Karpukhova – piano
Natalya, Ageyeva – piano
The Russian Chamber Music Foundation of Seattle presents pianists Eleonora Karpukhova from Moscow and RCMFS Artistic Director, Natalya Ageyeva with cellist Haeyoon Shin in a Valentine’s Day-themed program incorporating romantic Russian music, dance, and more for our ninth “Winter Nights” concert at Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall in Benaroya Hall at 5:00 p.m. on February 14, 2016.
The concert’s romantic centerpiece is Rachmaninoff’s Suite No. 2, Op. 17 for Two Pianos performed by guest pianist Eleonora Karpukhova and RCMFS Artistic Director, Natalya Ageyeva. The duo will also play Rachmaninoff’s beloved Vocalise Op. 34, No. 14. Haeyoon Shin and Ageyeva will collaborate for the exquisitely lush third movement of Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata. Adding spice to the romance of the Russian composers, Shin and Ageyeva will present Oblivion by the master of Argentinian tangos, Astor Piazzola accompanied by local dancers. In addition, Eleonora Karpukhova will play Chopin’s Waltzes in F major, Op. 34, No. 3, in D-flat major Op. 64, No. 1, and A-flat major Op. 34, No. 1, Tchaikovsky’s Impromptu and Meditation Op. 72, and Tchaikovsky/Pletnev “Andante Maestoso” from The Nutcracker.
For nearly a decade, RCMFS has featured musicians of the highest quality in unique collaborations. Some of our past signature concert guests have included Joshua Roman, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Elisa Barston, The Prima Trio, Alexandre Dossin, St. Petersburg String Quartet, Rimsky-Korsakov Quartet, Atrium Quartet, Dmitry Berlinsky, Erin Keefe, Arnaud Sussmann, Amos Yang, and more.
Please join us early for a special pre-concert recital featuring the winners of December 2015’s Russian Music Festival/Competition. Young artists from across the state will perform solo piano, cello, violin, chamber music, and piano duets at 3:00 p.m. Entry is included with the purchase of a “Winter Nights” ticket.
Natalya Ageyeva
Natalya Ageyeva has dazzled audiences throughout the United States and internationally, including Italy, Austria, and Israel, as well as on tour in her native Russia. Her performances have also been broadcast several times locally on KING-FM in Seattle and televised in Moscow and Chicago. She has appeared at a broad range of venues, including the Governor’s Mansion in Olympia, Carnegie Hall in New York, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, and the Rachmaninoff Hall in Moscow. Her pianism prompted one reviewer to write “Immediately apparent was a tremendous technique at the command of a sharp musical intelligence and fingers of steel.”
Her artistry has earned her awards and recognition around the world, including the Young Artist Competition in Moscow, Rotary Club Scholarship in Chicago, Brechemin Scholarship at the University of Washington, Solo Competition Award from the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle, the Green Lake Music Festival Competition in Wisconsin, Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition in New-York, and the Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition in Italy. An artist of great versatility, Ageyeva has performed as a recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestras internationally. She has also been an active participant in many music festivals, including the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Summer Festival, Methow Valley Music Festival in Winthrop (WA), Mostly Nordic Chamber Music Series in Seattle, Second City Chamber Series in Tacoma (WA), First Sunday at the Commons Series in Bainbridge Island (WA), Seattle Symphony Chamber Music Series in Seattle (WA), Olympic Music Festival (WA), and Green Lake Music Festival (WI).
Ageyeva began formal piano lessons at the age of thirteen when she was accepted by the prestigious Special Music School for Talented Children in Moscow, and graduated with honors in the Masters Program from the world-renowned Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, where she studied with Valeriy Kastelsky. While at the Moscow Conservatory, Ageyeva was offered extensive solo and orchestra appearances throughout the former Soviet Union. She completed her doctoral degree at the University of Washington with distinguished pianists Bela Siki and Robin McCabe. She has also worked with well-known pianists John O’Conner, Victor Merjanov, and Helene Grimaud, and collaborated with conductors Vladimir Vais, Alexander Rudin, and Peter Erös. Ageyeva previously taught at Moscow Conservatory and University of Washington, and has adjudicated piano competitions in Chicago, Seattle, and Vancouver BC. Ageyeva is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Russian Chamber Music Foundation of Seattle. It is starting its sixth successful year of bringing high-level chamber music to the Seattle area.
In addition to growing the Foundation, she is currently focusing on her solo career and chamber music performances. Ageyeva is a member of recently formed “Thirty Fingers” group with pianists Deborah Dewey and Lisa Bergman. For more information, please visit www.natalyapiano.com.
Eleonora Karpukhova
Eleonora Karpukhova – Russian pianist, winner of numerous international competitions and a teacher at the Moscow State Conservatoire – was born in 1976 in Kazan (Russia) and began her musical studies at the age of 5. She studied at the Kazan Special Music School under K. A. Shashkina and, from 1992 to 1995, at the Central Special Music School of the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatoire under Prof. V. V. Kastelsky. In 2000, Eleonora graduated from the Moscow Conservatoire with honours. She successfully combined her studies with recitals in Russia and abroad. Eleonora completed her music education in 2003 as a probation assistant under Prof. M. S. Voskresensky.
While being a student, she won numerous international competitions including the Citta di Senigallia International Competition in 1996.
Eleonora convincingly confirmed her complete professionalism in 2002 by winning the 18th Varallo Sessia International Competition in Italy and the 29th Dr. Luis Sigall International Piano Competition in Chile. “The final round of the music competition in Viña del Mar was a phenomenal event”, wrote the Domingo newspaper. “An exceptional performance of Mozart’s concerto No. 20 in D minor by Eleonora Karpukhova got the audience into blissfulness and tranquillity”.
Further performances also brought her winning titles. In 2004, Eleonora won the Zlatko Grgosevich Competition in Zagreb, Croatia (Second Prize) and the Jose Vianna da Motta Piano Competition in Lisbon, Portugal.
Eleonora Karpukhova regularly performs in Russia, Ukraine, France, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Chile and Portugal.
Her concerts in the Small and Rachmaninov’s halls of the Moscow Conservatoire, Salle Cortot in Paris, Saal Gasteig in Munich, Teatro “Gil Vicente” in Coimbra, Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisbon and philharmonic halls of Kiev, Kazan, Donetsk, Kharkov and other cities have always been very successful.
Moscow pianists long esteemed Eleonora for a harmonic combination of strong will, warm emotions, inspiration and naturalness of her performing style.
Eleonora has vast experience of performing with an orchestra. She played numerous concerts with Orquestra Sinfonica de Chili, Orquestra Fundacao Gulbenkian, Orquestra Metropolitana, Orquestra de Algarve, Orquestra Sinfonica de Providencia ( Chile ).
Eleonora Karpukhova actively cooperates with such famous conductors as S. Soldatov, Y. Yanko, A. Cassuto, D. del Pino Klinge, F. Lentini, D. Nazareth and M. Zilm, D.Kolobov, A. Dumay.