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Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin will return in April to perform a long-awaited recital for Hong Kong music lovers. The New York Times has described Kissin as "a phenomenal pianist, a deeply intuitive and sensitive musician."
The programme will feature Schubert's "Sonata No. 17 in D, D. 850, Op. 53", Scriabin's "Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp Minor, Op. 19" and "Douze Études, Op. 8, Nos. 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11 & 12".
The gifted and talented Kissin was born in Moscow in 1971, and he began to play by ear and improvise on the piano at the age of 2. When Kissin was 10, he made his concerto debut playing Mozart's "Piano Concerto K 466". He gave his first solo recital in Moscow the next year, and came to international attention at the age of 12 in 1984 when he performed Chopin's "Piano Concertos 1 and 2" with the Moscow State Philharmonic. He has since appeared with many of the world's finest conductors, including Claudio Abbado, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Daniel Barenboim, as well as great orchestras across the world.
Kissin's achievements are remarkable. He was a special guest at the Grammy Awards ceremony in the US in 1992, and he became Musical America's youngest Instrumentalist of the Year in 1995. Kissin subsequently received numerous awards, including the Shostakovich Award, one of Russia's top honours for music. In 1997, Kissin was the youngest ever awardee of the prestigious Triumph Award, one of the highest Russian cultural honours, for his outstanding contributions to Russia's culture. He has also received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, an Honorary Membership of the Royal Academy of Music in London and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Hong Kong.
Kissin has made numerous acclaimed recordings, which have received awards including an Edison Klassiek prize in the Netherlands, the Diapason d'Or and the Grand Prix de la Nouvelle Académie du Disque in France, and two Grammy Awards.
Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, "Encore Series: Piano Recital by Evgeny Kissin" will be staged at 8pm on April 7 (Monday) at the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Tickets priced at $720, $580, $450, $360 and $200 are now available at URBTIX outlets, on the Internet and by telephone credit card booking. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for full-time students and CSSA recipients are available on a first-come, first-served basis). The "Great Music 2014" package discount of 10 per cent off for each purchase of standard tickets for "Piano Recital by Evgeny Kissin" and "Piano Recital by Mikhail Pletnev" is also available.
A pre-concert talk to be conducted in Cantonese by pianist and music educator Chan Siu-fun will be held at 6.45pm on April 7 (Monday) at the Foyer Reception Area, 4/F, Auditoria Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The talk will have free admission on a first-come, first-served basis.
A public seminar entitled "An Evening with Evgeny Kissin" (to be conducted in English) will be held at 8pm on April 5 (Saturday) at the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Kissin will share with the audience his music journey. Free admission tickets will be distributed at the Enquiry Counter of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre from March 21 onwards. Please visit the LCSD website for details.
Other "Great Music 2014" programmes include "Encore Series: Piano Recital by Mikhail Pletnev" to be held on May 21 and "Czech Philharmonic" to be held on June 3 and 4 (tickets available on March 25).
For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7321, or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/program_469.html. For ticketing enquiries, please call 2734 9009. For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For Internet bookings, please visit www.urbtix.hk .
Ends/Friday, March 7, 2014
Issued at HKT 10:00
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