Piano master Konstantin Scherbakov tours NZ

MEDIA RELEASE
31 January 2007

Internationally acclaimed piano master Konstantin Scherbakov tours New Zealand

Viva Piano is delighted to announce the return to New Zealand of world-renown Russian pianist Konstantin Scherbakov for a national eight concert tour.

A master of classical piano, Scherbakov is no stranger to New Zealand, having performed a sell-out Viva Piano concert in 2005 to wide acclaim. This February, he shall treat New Zealand concert piano fans to renditions of Beethoven’s Symphony No.9/Liszt and Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons.

Scherbakov will perform his first concert in Auckland on Sunday 18th of February at the Town Hall Concert Chamber. Subsequently, he will perform in Hamilton, New Plymouth, Napier, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch, concluding his tour with a performance in Dunedin on the 28th of February.

Dubbed the “modern Rachmaninov” Scherbakov has gained a reputation as a particularly adventurous pianist, often attempting challenging lesser known pieces and attracting international acclaim for his performances of Liszt’s transcriptions of the Beethoven symphonies.

A BBC International Artist since 1995, Zurich based Scherbakov was one of the first artists signed by EMI for their début Series. Not only does Scherbakov make regular performances in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, but he is also a Professor of Music at Hochschule für Musik Winterthur-Zurich. He is in demand the world over to hold masterclasses, in addition to being a jury member in major international competitions.

Described by German critic Peter Cossé as “one of the most capable, daring and interesting musicians of these days,” a concert pianist with Scherbakov’s “electrifying genius”[1] is a rare treat for New Zealanders. Viva Piano founder Greg Partington is thrilled to be hosting the prestigious tour and anticipates the New Zealand public will flock to see the composer.

Russell Finnemore, who sources talent for Viva, confirms “Scherbakov is one of the finest Russian pianists of his generation. His flawless virtuoso technique is perfectly balanced by his artistic imagination and thus he brings the music of Liszt, Rachmaninov and Godowsky, to name just a few composers in his wide repertoire, to rarely experienced heights.”

ENDS

[Notes to Editors

- Viva Piano is a not-for-profit organization founded by Greg Partington and Russell Finnemore in 2002. With the aim of bringing high quality international classical piano talent to New Zealand, Viva Piano also seeks to nurture and promote awareness around this important aspect of world music

- Tickets can be purchased from TicketDirect (Hamilton, Napier, Palmerston North) or Ticketek (Auckland, New Plymouth, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin)

- attached is a biography of Scherbakov along with details of concert dates. These are in pdf format.

1 - Margot Hannigan, Nelson Mail, 14th September 2002]

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