Program
Alexey Kurbatov (b. 1983)
«Lost in Darkness», Seven Pieces for Piano, Op. 34 (2014)
Leonid Desyatnikov (b. 1955)
«Like an Old Organ Grinder» for violin and piano (1997)
Toru Takemitsu (1930–1996)
A Bird Came Down The Walk…, for viola and piano (1995)
Sergey Akhunov (b. 1967)
«Sketches XIII-XVI» for piano (2021)
«The Forest King» for viola and piano (2015)
Pavel Karmanov (b. 1978)
«Autumn Lives» for viola and piano (2012)
Details
The concert programme is made up entirely of chamber music pieces by contemporary composers. The duet performance will feature Like an Old Organ Grinder by Leonid Desyatnikov, A Bird Came Down the Walk… by Toru Takemitsu, Forest King by Sergey Akhunov, and Autumn Lives by Pavel Karmanov.
Varvara Myagkova will also present a series of piano pieces Lost in Darkness by a like-minded author Alexey Kurbatov, and Sketches XIII-XVI written by Sergey Akhunov specially for the pianist and dedicated to her. In September last year, Varvara Myagkova released a CD with Sketches recorded on three antique grand pianos.
Varvara Myagkova is a recent phenomenon, an accomplished pianist who made a name after her recordings went viral on social media. Since 2019, her solo career has developed rapidly and triumphally. Varvara Myagkova was ’discovered’ by pianist Boris Berezovsky, who invited her to perform at his Elabuga Summer Nights Festival. Her solo and chamber ensemble performances soon followed at venues such as the Homecoming Chamber Music Festival, Ars Longa International Music Festival, Škola Crew Festival, Beethoven Hall of the Bolshoi Theatre, Zaryadye Concert Hall, and the Moscow International House of Music. In September 2021, Fancy Music released Sergey Akhunov’s Sketches XIII-XVI, composed especially for Varvara Myagkova and recorded on three antique grand pianos in the museum of restorer Alexey Stavitsky in Rybinsk.
Sergey Poltavsky is one of the brightest and most sought-after viola soloists, viole d’amoure performers and chamber musicians of the younger generation. The range of his musical interests is very wide: from baroque music on viole d’amoure to Vladimir Martynov, Georgs Pelēcis, Sergey Zagny, Pavel Karmanov, Dmitri Kourliandski and Boris Filanovsky.