Over the course of a week this fall — Oct. 30 through Nov. 6 — the AmerKlavier Studio at DePaul University's School of Music will embark on one of its most ambitious projects to date. Together, 23 talented students, past and present, as well as their professor, internationally renowned pianist Eteri Andjaparidze, will perform the complete cycle of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas. In concerts presented on eight consecutive days, these masterworks will be played in chronological order. All of these programs, which are free and open to the public, will be presented in the DePaul Concert Hall, 800 W. Belden Ave.
"This series of concerts opens up the students' perception and understanding of one specific composer and musical form in depth, and this understanding will be shared with our audiences," said Andjaparidze, who created the AmerKlavier Studio, a program of piano instruction, at DePaul's School of Music in 2001. "Each student learns one or two sonatas, but, in fact, they thoroughly study all 32 of them as they hear each other play during the preparation period."
For Andjaparidze, the weeks leading up to the concerts allow a rare opportunity to share with her students her own fascination and knowledge of what she calls "Planet Beethoven." Andjaparidze will play the monumental "Hammerklavier," penned at the peak of this composer's creative powers, at the Nov. 5 concert, and his celebrated final piano sonata, Opus 111, at the final concert Nov. 6.
Beethoven was a pianist before he was a composer and by all accounts an electrifying and proficient player. Throughout his career, Beethoven's piano music served as a barometer for his musical agenda. It was always the vehicle for advancing his newest and most revolutionary ideas. These 32 piano sonatas are often considered the New Testament of all instrumental music, with Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier" considered the Old Testament. The sonatas trace Beethoven's growth and development as one of the greatest artistic creators of all time and illuminate the transition in music history from the Classical to the Romantic period.
Andjaparidze developed the AmerKlavier Studio to provide a nurturing course of study that seeks to address the individual skills and strengths of aspiring pianists through special artistic/ educational projects and a concert/ colloquium series. Andjaparidze, whose own successful international career has taken her to major music centers around the globe, joined the DePaul School of Music faculty in the fall of 2001. She is a winner of the Montreal and Tchaikovsky international piano competitions and has been honored in her native Republic of Georgia with the title "People's Artist of Georgia."
Dates, programs and pianists for the Beethoven cycle will be:
Oct. 30 at 3 p.m.: Opus 2 #1 performed by Tristan Warwick; Opus 2 #2 performed by Hue Jeong Jang; Opus 2 #3 performed by Stephen Cook; Opus 7 performed by Kristijan Civljak
Oct. 31 at 8 p.m.: Opus 10 #1 performed by Guga Chkhikvadze; Opus 10 #2 performed by Monica Pavel; Opus 10 #3 performed by Eka Sanikidze; Opus 13, "Pathetique," performed by Hanjin Sa
Nov. 1 at 8 p.m.: Opus 14 #1 performed by Lisa Zilberman; Opus 14 #2 performed by Monica Pavel; Opus 22 performed by Alena Latchininsky; Opus 26, "Funeral March," performed by Alexandre Tsomaia; Opus 27 #1 performed by Olga Sklyanskaya; Opus 27 #2, "Moonlight," performed by Tristan Warwick
Nov. 2 at 8 p.m.: Opus 28, "Pastoral," performed by Katia Kravitz; Opus 31 #1 performed by Anna Brandenbursky; Opus 31 #2 performed by Aida Marc; Opus 31 #3 performed by Kristijan Civljak
Nov. 3 at 8 p.m.: Opus 49 #1 performed by Lydia Kwok; Opus 49 #2 performed by Rebecca Kelch; Opus 53, "Waldstein," performed by George Oakley; Opus 54 performed by Olga Sklyanskaya; Opus 57, "Appassionata," performed by Stephen Cook
Nov. 4 at 8 p.m.: Opus 78 performed by Yiran Zhu; Opus 79 performed by Hanjin Sa; Opus 81a, "Das Lebewohl," performed by Hue Jeong Jang
Nov. 5 at 8 p.m.: Opus 90 performed by Chi Can To; Opus 101 performed by Inga Kashakashvili; Opus 106, "Hammerklavier," performed by Eteri Andjaparidze
Nov. 6 at 3 p.m.: Opus 109 performed by Katsura Tanikawa; Opus 110 performed by Sayaka Tanikawa; Opus 111 performed by Eteri Andjaparidze.
Additionally, on Nov. 12 from noon to 6 p.m., the public is invited to a related workshop that will include a master class led by Andjaparidze, a lecture by a guest speaker and a panel discussion. For more information about the concert series, the workshop or the AmerKlavier Studio, call the DePaul School of Music at (773) 325-7260.
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