Fireworks at the Piano
July 4, 2012 - Steinway Gallery
Sparklers, rockets and a few explosions! Four world-class pianists dazzled the crowd with classical masterpieces and original compositions on one of Steinway's concert grand pianos at the NVO@ThePiano concert.
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We expected fireworks for the 4th of July. What we didn't expect was the crowd. The Steinway Recital Hall is an intimate setting for about 100 attendees. We thought it would be reasonably full. It was full - 30 minutes before show time! Thanks to Lamis Pritchard and her staff, chairs and piano benches were moved into the display gallary around the many pianos. The eventual crowd of 200 plus heard wonderful music from four very talented performers.
Our artists were:
- Christian McLeer, graduate of Julliard and the Manhattan School of Music is co-founder and Artistic Director of Remarkable Theatre Brigade (RTB). As a concert pianist Christian has won numerous comprtitions and performed at many respected venues including Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, Merkin Concert Hall and the New Orleans Astro Dome.
- Donna Axton is the director of music studies at Sierra Nevada College, director of the SNC Concert Choir, a TOCCATA performer and the music minister at St. Patrick's Church. At SNC, Donna teaches classes in piano, voice, world music, music history, music appreciation, music and mythology and psychology.
- Azamat Sydykov is a Kyrgyz concert pianist who has played solo concerts internationally through Kyrgyz, Russia, Switzerland, Germany, Iran, Turkey, Ukraine, Finland, Italy and Netherlands. Having settled in New York City, Sydykov has there performed at Steinway Hall, Mannes Concert Hall, Gilder Lehrman Hall, Greenwich House, David Greer Recital Hall and United Nations Headquarters in New York.
- Jonathan Levin made his debut with the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra when he was fifteen. Recent performances have included concerts and recitals at Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, New York Society for Ethical Culture, Brooklyn Public Library, the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland and the Kosciusko Foundation in Manhattan, as well as concerts in North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi and Florida.
