RUSSIAN PIANIST KOVALSKY FEATURED ON MSO’S ALL-RUSSIAN CONCERT - only $5 for students

A delicate tone poem featuring a breathtaking sunrise, the lush sounds of a romantic piano concerto, and a symphony representing a composer’s crowning achievement will be heard on Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. in the Count Basie Theatre, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ, as the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra, led by their Principal Conductor Roy Gussman, presents the third concert of their sixty-fourth season.   Joined by piano soloist Vladislav Kovalsky, it will be an afternoon to delight lovers of Russian music.

The afternoon will begin with Dawn Over the Moskva River by Modest Mussorgsky.  Like his more well-known work, Pictures at an Exhibition, the music paints a vivid picture.  In this work, one can hear birds chirping and water flowing as the sun gradually warms the Russian landscape.

Russian-born pianist Vladislav Kovalsky will perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2.   Kovalsky, who is the Artistic and Executive Director of the Monmouth Conservatory of Music in Red Bank, has delighted audiences around the world with his outstanding virtuosity and artistry.  The concerto, filled with beautiful melodies, is one of Rachmaninoff’s most popular works.  Several popular songs are derived from these melodies, including Frank Sinatra’s 1945 hit, “Full Moon and Empty Arms”, and the concerto has been featured in many films, including Brief Encounter, September Affair, The Seven Year Itch, and Hereafter.

Alexander Borodin’s Second Symphony is considered by many to be his greatest large-scale work.  When it received its European premiere, it was pronounced a great success by no less a critic than Franz Liszt.  The MSO will conclude the program with a performance of this magnificent symphony.  Many concertgoers will recognize melodies from this work which were used in the 1954 musical Kismet, winner of three Tony awards.

Prior to the performance at 2:15, Monmouth Symphony Orchestra bass trombonist and program annotator, Tom Avakian, will interview soloist Vladislav Kovalsky.   These pre-concert interviews, always fascinating, provide the audience with context and background and increase their enjoyment and appreciation of the performances.

Ticket prices are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors and only $5 for students. For tickets, call the Count Basie Theatre box office at 732-842-9000. NEW: HALF-PRICE RUSH TICKETS on Day of Concert for Adults and Seniors. To learn more about the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra and their programs, visit their website at http://www.monmouthsymphony.org/.