The Art of the Piano Duo Inaugural Three-Concert Event

Greater Boston brims with top-quality classical music performances, yet world-class piano duo concerts rarely occur.  In response, the Boston-based non-profit Sound Ways presents The Art of the Piano Duo, its inaugural piano duo concert series, comprised of three evening concerts taking place on the first three Saturdays in June 2024. Under the leadership of Artistic Advisor Dr. Elena Sorokina, Professor Emeritus of the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory and preeminent expert of the piano duo genre, this three-concert event features international performers presenting repertoire from the 18th through 20th centuries. Concerts begin at 8:00 p.m. and end by 10:00 p.m. in the sanctuary of First Church Boston, acoustically very fitting for chamber music, at 66 Marlborough Street. General admission tickets are $40, available online via soundways.net/events and at the door.

The first concert, on June 1, features pianists Vyacheslav Gryaznov and Vladimir Rumyantsev performing ingenious arrangements for two pianos. The first half presents Edvard Grieg’s adaptations of two Sonatas by W. A. Mozart (K. 283 and K. 457). In the second half they perform Gryaznov’s virtuosic arrangement of Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances. Both performers are prize-winning graduates of the Moscow Conservatory and enjoy international concert careers.

On June 8, pianists Ivan Gusev and Sergey Voronov perform compositions for two pianos from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The first half starts with works by Schumann and Brahms, concluding with Ravel’s spectacular La Valse, arranged by the composer. The second half includes evocative works by Anton Arensky (Suite No. 2, composed in 1892) and Rachmaninoff (Suite No. 1, from 1893). Graduates of the Moscow Conservatory, the performers earned top prizes in prestigious competitions and perform internationally.

The June 15 concert focuses on the music of Franz Schubert, highlighting works for piano four hands as well as cello and piano. Esteemed cellist/pianist/conductor Alexander Rudin teams up with pianist Ekaterina Derzhavina to deliver a rare program exploring the connections between Schubert’s piano duets and his music for string instrument and piano. Beginning with the Eight Variations on a French Song for piano four hands, Rudin then takes up his cello to perform the Sonatina in G minor in partnership with Derzhavina on the piano. The first half concludes with a Characteristic March for piano four hands. The second half begins with the Rondo in D major for piano duet and climaxes with the richly composed Grand Duo, with Rudin playing cello.

For more details about the repertoire, performers, and piano duo genre, please visit www.soundways.net/events.

Seating in the intimate and wheelchair-accessible First Church sanctuary is limited, and the concerts may sell out. Listeners are encouraged to secure tickets in advance. Parking can be found in close proximity to First Church at various garages; street parking may also be available. There are multiple options for public transportation.

Sound Ways Inc. is a Boston non-profit organization established in 2015 for the advancement and support of exceptional classical musicians, especially those from former Soviet republics. For additional information, please email Maria Eliseeva, Executive Director of Sound Ways Inc. at info@soundways.net or phone 617-833-7015.