Famed Russian musicians offer free concertsNov. 16, 2009 KALAMAZOO--Two accomplished Russian musicians will present two free concerts on Wednesday, Nov. 18, in Western Michigan University's Dalton Center. Victoria Evtodieva, soprano, and Dmitry Chasovitin, piano, will perform at 1 and 8:15 p.m., with their repertoire including Russian romances, 19th century songs of love and longing. Evtodieva is a laureate of many international competitions including Enschede Chamber Music Competition, the Hannover Schostakovitch Competition and the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. She has recorded three monographic disks with the songs of Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky to critical acclaim both in Russia and abroad. She is a regular guest of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Gidon Kremer's Festival in Lockenhaus and other festivals in Europe. In addition to her concert career, Evtodieva gives master classes internationally and teaches chamber singing at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Chasovitin is merited artist of the Russian Federation and an international prizewinner, lecturer and recording artist and performs extensively as a soloist and concert pianist. He has recorded several CDs and been featured on the radios of Russia, Poland and on the BBC. His appearances as lecturer include such institutions as the Birmingham University, Boston University, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and many others. He is Vice-Rector of Studies and Music Education at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and has been teaching piano at the conservatory since 1987. The concerts are part of Russia Week activities in Kalamazoo and coincide with the annual Russian Festival. Their visits to WMU are made possible through the Kalamazoo Pushkin Partnership and the WMU Visiting Scholars and Artists Program. The WMU Visiting Scholars and Artists Program was established in 1960 to contribute to the intellectual life of WMU and the community by providing funds for academic units to bring distinguished scholars and artists to campus. In addition to meeting with faculty and students, these scholars address the community at large. Since its inception, it has supported more than 600 visits by scholars and artists representing more than 60 academic disciplines. The chair of the committee that oversees the program is Dr. Elke Schoffers, associate professor of chemistry. Related articles Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu WMU News |
