ANTON RUBINSTEIN AND OUTSTANDING PIANISTS-COMPOSERS OF HIS TIME

About the program

Two pianos duo team Anna and Dmitri Shelest present a program of piano concertos by composer-pianists of the Romantic era - Anton Rubinstein Piano Concerto No. 2, Clara Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor and Cecile Chaminade Konzertstuck.

Remembered today as an iconic 19th century piano virtuoso, Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894) was an incredibly prolific composer, writing 20 operas, 6 symphonies, 5 piano concertos and many works for solo piano and chamber music ensembles. Under the direction of Neeme Jarvi, Anna Shelest has performed and recorded all of Rubinstein’s piano concertos, works of tremendous scale, romantic gesture and virtuosity. The Second Piano Concerto showcases the essential elements of the Rubinstein style - his strong roots in classism, unbound virtuosity and heartfelt lyricism.

Dubbed Europe’s “Queen of the Piano”, Clara Schumann (1819-1896) was one of the most important pianists of the 19th century and a peer of such giants as Liszt, Thalberg and Anton Rubinstein. She was one of the first artists along with Franz Lizst to start giving solo concerts without assisting artists and perform from memory.

She wrote her only Piano Concerto at the age of 15. This youthful work exhibits a remarkable originality and understanding of the piano medium.

Cecile Chaminade (1857-1944) was at the height of her fame at the turn of the 20th century as a pianist-composer. She was a favorite with audiences especially in England and the United States, where hundreds of Chaminade Clubs - salons dedicated to her music and the genre of salon music in general - appeared. Her Konzertstuck presents a more extroverted side of Chaminade’s romantic persona. There is the Spanish influence in some of the dance-like elements of the work as well as memorable melodies that remain the trademark of her style.

Both Clara Schumann Piano Concerto and Cecile Chaminade Konzertstuck will be recorded by Anna Shelest under direction of Neeme Jarvi and Estonian National Symphony Orchestra in June of 2023.

About Anna & Dmitri Shelest

Praised for their “stirring performances of rare repertory”, Shelest Piano Duo is a husband-and-wife team of ANNA AND DMITRI SHELEST who take their roots to the music school in Ukraine.

The Duo, who met as classmates in middle school, began performing together after their marriage in the U.S. Their inventive programs brought them to a broad array of venues from concert stages to state functions, and, in words of Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, “realized diplomacy through music.”

Hailed by The New York Times as a pianist of “a fiery sensibility and warm touch,” ANNA SHELEST is an international award-winning musician who has captivated audiences throughout the world. Anna, a champion of esoteric repertoire, has collaborated with the legendary conductor Neeme Järvi on a project of recording the complete works for piano and orchestra by Anton Rubinstein.

Anna made her orchestral debut at the age of 12 years old with the Kharkiv Symphony Orchestra, playing Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 1.” Since then, she has been a soloist with world-class orchestras such as Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Estonian National Symphony Orchestra among others.

As a soloist, she has appeared at Alice Tully Hall and Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall in New York City, The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, Wiener Konzerthaus in Vienna and Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.

Born in Ukraine, Anna Shelest received her early music education at Kharkiv Special Music School. After receiving her Bachelor of Music degree at Northern Kentucky University, she graduated from The Juilliard School with a master’s degree.

DMITRI SHELEST started studying piano at the age of six in Ukraine and soon enrolled into the Kharkiv Special Music School, succeeding at his first contest when he was 11 years old. It was also piano that brought him across to the U.S. after he was offered a full scholarship to Northern Kentucky University as a bachelor’s degree candidate in piano performance.

While at NKU, Mr. Shelest won top prizes in various international piano competitions and participated in music festivals. After graduating in 2005, he pursued a post- baccalaureate degree in entrepreneurship. Since relocating with his family to New York, he has been active as a chamber musician in addition to managing a record label and a piano retail showroom.

Today, Anna and Dmitri Shelest make their home in New York City with their two sons.

About the venue

Seating in the intimate and wheelchair-accessible First Church sanctuary is limited; listeners are encouraged to secure tickets in advance. Parking can be found in close proximity to First Church at various garages, and there are multiple options for public transportation.

About Sound Ways

Sound Ways Inc. is a Boston non-profit organization established in 2015 for the advancement and support of exceptional classical musicians. For additional information, please email Maria Eliseeva, Executive Director of Sound Ways Inc. at [email protected].

Host or Publisher Sound Ways Inc.