Program
| Composer | Work | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Schumann | Carnaval, Op. 9 | 1835 |
| Intermission | ||
| Arsentiy Kharitonov | Concert Etudes, Op. 44 (selections) | 2019 |
| Sergei Rachmaninoff | Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 36 | 1913 |
| Nikolai Medtner | Forgotten Melodies I, Op. 38: VI. Canzona Serenata | 1919 |
About the Artist
Arsentiy Kharitonov
Hailing from St. Petersburg, Arsentiy Kharitonov is the first-prize winner of the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition (US). After also winning the Rachmaninov Competition (Russia), he began his concert career with engagements throughout Europe including appearances at the Philharmonic Hall, and the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, at the Royal Conservatory, Stockholm, and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, followed by Asian tours with performances in the major halls of, among others, Shanghai, Beijing, and Seoul.
In the Americas, he has appeared at the Music and Beyond Festival in Ottawa, at the National Gallery of Art and Catholic University of Washington, DC, in Dallas, Los Angeles, and at the Tabernacle at Temple in the Square in Salt Lake City. In New York City, his appearances have included Steinway Hall, the Frick Collection, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall.
The artist’s recordings for Toccata Classics include the complete piano works of Leo Ornstein and the chamber works of Robert Kahn. Masterpieces by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, and Scriabin can be heard on the Hartshorn Classical label. Kharitonov’s recordings for Sound Atlas include piano works by Bach, Schubert, Mussorgsky, and Kharitonov’s own set of Concert Études.
As a composer, Kharitonov has been equally well-received, winning the First Prize at the All-National Composer’s Competition in Russia in 2020. In a review by the Epoch Times, he was praised for his “harmonic chops, which are rare these days among composers. You can hear the sparkle and edge of Shostakovich and Prokofiev, but its heart seems to be in the lyricism of Rachmaninoff. It was a real pleasure to hear these dynamic works.”
Composer Samuel Adler wrote, “In the past few weeks I have become acquainted with the music of Arsentiy Kharitonov and find it very strong, vital, and extremely exciting. Here is a composer and a fabulous pianist, who should be much better known for the music that he composes, since it is so very well constructive and immediately effective. His piano music as well as his chamber and orchestra works should become favorites with anyone fortunate enough to get to know them.”
Kharitonov’s principal teachers included Galina Osipova, Nikita Fitenko, and Joseph Banowetz.