The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra will present their popular 2nd annual concert, Russian Spectacular, in historic Downtown Pensacola Saenger Theatre on Saturday, April 5 at 8pm.
The evening boasts an exhilarating Russian-inspired program, featuring three works that have captured audiences from the concert hall to the silver screen. The PSO, under the baton of Maestro Peter Rubardt, will be joined by sensational Russian pianist, Sofya Gulyak. Gulyak will be featured performing Sergei Rachmaninoff’s matchless Piano Concerto No. 3.
The program opens with a concert suite from one of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s most treasured ballets, Swan Lake. This timeless favorite could be heard recently in the Winter Olympics accompanying ice dancing and was also used in the hit film Black Swan. Tchaikovsky’s mesmerizing melodies depict a story of a prince who encounters a beautiful swan and discovers she’s a princess transformed from human-form by a wicked sorcerer. The music is simply spell-binding.
Next on the program, the orchestra will perform a concert suite from Igor Stravinsky’s ballet The Firebird. This suite was also featured prominently in the opening ceremony for the recent Winter Olympics and the finale was memorably depicted through animation in Disney’s Fantasia 2000. For Stravinsky, The Firebird was the first collaboration with Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballet Russe. Instant acclaim and success of the piece set the stage for future landmark works, including Petroushka and The Rite of Spring. Russian Spectacular concludes with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, performed by Sofya Gulyak. In 2009, Gulyak was awarded the highest honor and gold medal at the prestigious Leeds Piano Competition – the first woman to ever receive such award. Rachmaninoff, a legendary piano virtuoso himself, wrote the concerto to be the highlight of his American debut. Its dense chords, embellished textures and cascading runs epitomize the Russian Romantic bravura style.
There will be a special matinee dress rehearsal for the concert beginning at 2PM. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the Palafox entrance of the Saenger Theatre. Then starting at 7PM, Dr. Larry Reed will present Classical Conversations. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn more about the music, as well as a chance to hear from the evening’s guest artist. The event is free with your concert ticket.
Tickets start at only $22 – available at pensacolasymphony.com, by phone at 850-435-2533, and at the Saenger Theatre, on the corner of Palafox and Intendencia.