Sunday, January 12, 2020, at 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
First Presbyterian Church of Stamford
1101 Bedford Street
Stamford, CT 06905
The Drozdoff Society’s Impromptu! Classical Music Recital Series presents the exciting and remarkable Russian-American Asiya Korepanova | pianist-composer
PROGRAM: The art of piano transcription
J.S. Bach-A. Korepanova
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, 1. Choir.
C. Franck-A. Korepanova
Les marriages des Roses
G. Faure-A. Korepanova
Elegie
A. Beach-A. Korepanova
Extase, Op.21, No.2
M. Mussorgsky-A. Korepanova
Songs and Dances of Death
– intermission –
S. Rachmaninoff-A. Korepanova
Cello Sonata, Op.19
The only pianist currently performing Liszt’s 24 Etudes as a single program and one of few to tout a concerto list that features over 60 works, Asiya Korepanova is a pianistic powerhouse and rapidly rising star. As a result of her uncompromising dedication to the arts, Ms. Korepanova is recognized not only for her achievements as a pianist, but also for her work as a transcriber, composer, visual artist, and poet.
Asiya’s contributions to the solo piano literature —including her historic solo piano transcription of Richard Strauss’ “Ein Heldenleben” and that of Rachmaninoff ‘s Cello Sonata—have given her a place among today’s formidable transcribers.
A number of her transcriptions have been recorded through her YouTube vlog project, ‘Midnight Pieces.’ Launched in September 2017, Asiya shares 53 performances of short works. Among these are well-known works, Russian compositions, obscure works, and original transcriptions.
Uninhibited in her artistic expression, Asiya’s communicative desires have culminated in several projects featuring original poetry and visual art that serve as an interpretive commentary to a particular cycle of works for the piano. These cycles include Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes, Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier and Tchaikovsky’s 18 Morceaux, Op. 72. Asiya’s live performances of these compositions have astounded audiences and organizers alike.
In 2017 Asiya founded ‘Festival Baltimore,’ a two-week chamber music series and summer academy dedicated to the performance and study of complete cycles. Rapidly growing in reputation, the festival has already solidified its reputation as a highly original musical series and academy.
Furthering this effort, Ms. Korepanova founded ‘Music for Minds,’ a non-profit organization that serves to promote classical performances in classrooms as well as to found and support music festivals featuring unique programming.
Asiya was born in Izhevsk, Russia, to a musical family. She began to learn piano when she was 4 years old from her mother, her first piano teacher. She was taught to read music in orchestral clefs by her father, an exemplary composer, at the age of 6, and started composing her own music. At 9, she made her orchestral debut, playing Mozart’s Concerto No.8 with her own cadenza, and performed her first philharmonic recital.
Her love for new music has come effortlessly as a result of her early bond with composition. She was invited to premiere 3 piano concertos by Vladislav Kazenin and Shamil Timerbulatov, with the Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Petersburg Capella Symphony Orchestra, the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra.
Throughout her formative years in Russia, Ms. Korepanova received various awards for her prodigious abilities. These include the Russian Federation’s President Award for “Exceptional Achievement in the Arts”. the National Award from the Republic of Udmurtia (2002), Germany’s Berliner Salon Award (2003), and Russia’s Youth Triumph Award (2005), the title of ‘Honored Artist of Udmurtia’ (2009), and earned her right as the Moscow Philharmonic Society’s artist.
In 2012, Asiya moved to the United States at the invitation of renowned pianist, Santiago Rodriguez. Later that year, she was awarded the Gold Medal at the Nina Wideman International Piano Competition – an accolade which proved invaluable in the establishment of her concertizing career in the U.S.
She has since continued to garner national attention with performances at the Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, the Bargemusic Series, the Phillips Collection, the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Series, the International Miami Piano Festival, and countless others. Ms. Korepanova has been featured on CNN, NPR stations, WFMT, and WETA.
In addition to her busy schedule concertizing as a soloist and chamber musician, Asiya eagerly anticipates the release of her historic Rachmaninoff record—which includes his piano sonatas along with her transcription of his cello sonata—and the release of a DVD—which features her performance at Tchaikovsky’s birthplace—issued by the Russian government.