CONCERT PROGRAMME
S. Rachmaninov. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, op. 18
S. Rachmaninov. Symphony No. 2 in E minor, op. 27
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Ukrainian-Canadian pianist and composer Dmitri Levkovich was born into both avocations: piano and composition. D. Levkovich’s performances were praised for "artistic sophistication far above the ordinary" (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) and "understanding of the music far beyond most young pianists” (American Record Guide). His original compositions were reviewed in the Philadelphia’s Broad Street Review - “…the musicians could jump right into the heartfelt melodies and big emotional surges of Levkovich’s slow movement”. He honed his skills on the piano under the guidance of Sergei Babayan for 11 years and in composition at the Curtis Institute of Music. D. Levkovičius is the winner of many international competitions, public and special prizes. The pianist has already performed in concert halls around the world, such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Paris Champs-Elysées, the Carnegie Hall in New York, the Moscow Conservatory, the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre, and the Warsaw Philharmonic.
Tonight, the star of D. Levkovičius will shine in Vilnius, where the pianist together with Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra and conductor Dmitry Liss will perform S. Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 – one of the most famous works of the composer, which finally established his fame. Written in 190, the second Piano Concerto was a major turning point after three years of S. Rachmaninov's clinical depression and the so-called "creative block", caused by the absolute failure of the premiere of his First Symphony, after which the composer was no longer able to compose music. Piano Concerto No. 2 was dedicated by S. Rachmaninov to his doctor Nikolai Dahl – his methods of applied hypnosis and supportive therapy helped the composer to overcome the disease and he was able to create again.
In the second part of the concert, the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra will perform S. Rachmaninov's Symphony No. 2. The symphony was written in Dresden (Germany), where the composer spent three years with his family, fleeing the Russian Revolution and devoting himself entirely to the process of writing music. Although S. Rachmaninov was dissatisfied with the first draft of the symphony, in 1908 the magnificent work became the composer's triumph: it not only won the prestigious Mikhail Glinka Prize, but also restored S. Rachmaninov's self-esteem as a composer of symphonic music.
This evening the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by maestro Dmitry Liss. As conductor of the Russian National Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor of the Ural Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, D. Liss has earned worldwide recognition for his interpretations of Russian classical music, as well as contemporary and jazz music. Critics praise D. Liss’ elegant conducting style and artistic performance, and some compare the artist to the legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein.