BEMIDJI, Minn. — Russian pianist Alexander Ghindin, first-prize winner of the 2007 Cleveland International Piano Competition and soloist with the Moscow State Philharmonic Orchestra, will perform Sunday, Oct. 26, to open the seventh annual Bemidji Concert Series presented by the Bemidji State University Department of Music.
The 7:30 p.m. concert will be held in the Thompson Recital Hall of the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex on the Bemidji State campus. Individual event tickets are $20 for the general public and free for all students. Tickets may be purchased at the BSU Department of Music, Lueken’s Village Foods North and Tutto Bene in Bemidji. If available, tickets also will be sold at the door.
In addition to the concert, Ghindin will present a piano master class at 3 p.m., Monday, Oct. 27, in the Thompson Recital Hall. The class is free and open to the public.
Alexander Ghindin
Ghindin began impressing elite audiences at a very young age, winning the 1991 Moscow Young Pianists’ Competition by age 14 and then three years later performing in the 10th International Tchaikovsky Competition, where he became the youngest ever winner of the prestigious competition at age 17. In 1999, he gained second prize at the Brussels International Reine Elisabeth Competition and joined the Moscow State Philharmonic as principal soloist. He was 30 years old when he won the 2007 Cleveland International Piano Competition, impressing judges with a performance of Rachmaninoff No. 3 with the Cleveland Orchestra.
Ghindin has performed in his native Russia, as well as in Europe and Japan. His 2007-08 season included performances with orchestras in Bordeaux, Ekaterinaburg, Kazan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Moscow, Monte Carlo, Prague, Slovenia and Vilnius, among others.
He has recorded 15 CDs, appeared on TV and radio in various venues and performed under the direction of many distinguished conductors. His solo repertoire includes works by Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, Mozart, Musorgsky, Rachmaninov, Ravel, Schumann, Scriabin, Stravinsky and many others.
In 2001, Ghindin graduated from Moscow State P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory after completing master class studies with M.S. Voskrensky. He has performed in some of the finest concert halls in the world including London’s Barbican, the Avery Fisher Hall in New York, Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, Riksallen in Stockholm and the Philharmonic Halls in Warsaw.
Season tickets
Season ticket packages for the Bemidji Concert Series’ three performances are $50 for adults and free for all students. Supporters may choose to receive tickets as part of a donor membership package at one of three levels: sustaining member, $75, one season ticket; priority member, $125, one season ticket; or elite member, $250, one season ticket with a choice of reserved seating. Supporting members will be listed in each concert program in recognition of their commitment to help the series grow and continue to attract top-quality performers. Donations exceeding the regular season ticket price are tax deductible.
Regular season tickets and membership packages may be ordered by mailing a check to the Department of Music, Attn: Bemidji Concert Series, 1500 Birchmont Drive NE, Bemidji, MN 56601-2699 or visiting the Department of Music Office, second floor, Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex, Lueken’s Village North or Tutto Bene.
Performance schedule
The three-event Bemidji Concert Series will also include performances by:
• New York Woodwind Quintet, 7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 27; an internationally celebrated quintet that has performed for almost 60 seasons in the United States and abroad. Its members are all world-renowned performers and teachers: flutist Carol Wincenc; clarinetist Charles Neidich; oboist Stephen Taylor; bassoonist Marc Goldberg and French hornist William Purvis. The quintet continues a 15-year residency at The Juilliard School.
• Western Brass Quintet, 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 6; founded in 1966, the quintet is comprised of the brass professors at Western Michigan University. The ensemble offers a variety of classical programs ranging from Bach to Bernstein and remains committed to promoting the composition of significant works for brass quintet. In addition to performing internationally, the quintet has presented concerts at more than 100 American universities.
History and sponsorship
The Bemidji Concert Series began seven years ago with the goal of making Bemidji the cultural center for northern Minnesota and providing the Bemidji region with music that could not commonly be heard without traveling to the Twin Cities.
The series is supported by sponsorships from the BSU Department of Music, the Bemidji Pioneer, the Villa Calma Bed & Breakfast on Lake Boulevard, and the BSU Student Activity Allocation Committee.
For more information, please call the Department of Music at (218) 755-2915.
FOR YOUR CALENDAR
Oct. 26 – 7:30 p.m. – Russian pianist Alexander Ghindin to open the Bemidji Concert Series presented by Bemidji State University Department of Music. Location: Thompson Recital Hall of the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex, BSU campus. Admission: $20 for adults, and free for all students.