The Division of Music at the Meadows School, in conjunction with the Van Cliburn Foundation, will present the third concert in the Meadows three-part Distinguished Artist Recital Series this Saturday in Caruth Auditorium. This final concert will feature award-winning pianist Alexander Kobrin.
Kobrin won the Gold Medal in the 2005 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Kobrin’s performance on Saturday will include Mozart’s Fantasy in C minor, K. 475; Haydn’s Sonata in F major, Hob. XVI/23; Brahms’ Klavierstüke; and Schumann’s Kreisleriana, Op. 16.
Senior piano minor Casey Potter expressed her excitement about having the opportunity to hear such a talented artist play.
“This Meadows concert series has featured many amazing artists. I think that it is great that SMU is affording its students and the community the opportunity to witness the talents of such a gifted and accomplished artist as Alexander Kobrin,” she said.
According to a press release, Kobrin, born in Moscow in 1980, completed his musical studies at the Moscow State Gnessin Academy of Music and at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he also received his master’s degree.
Kobrin’s honors and awards for his talent have been extensive. At the age of 25, he was awarded the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal at the 12th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2005.
Scott Cantrell, a classical music critic for The Dallas Morning News, commented on Kobrin’s gold medal winning performance at the competition.
“Mr. Kobrin’s gorgeous, glowing tone ravished the ear, the Cliburn may have a great artist on its hands,” Cantrell said in a press release.
Along with the honor of the gold medal, Kobrin received three years of international concert engagements coordinated by the Cliburn and London-based IMG Artists and a CD recording of his award-winning Cliburn Competition performances for the harmonia mundi usa label.
Kobrin was the first-prize winner of the 1999 Busoni Competition. He was also a top prizewinner of both the 2000 Chopin and 2003 Hamamatsu competitions.
Kobrin has traveled and performed extensively throughout Europe, South America, Asia, and in American cities from coast to coast.
His 2006-2007 concert season was launched by his New York Philharmonic debut at Lincoln Center in July. Kobrin also will perform during the season with orchestras from all around the nation. He’s scheduled performances with orchestras in Dallas, Nashville, Phoenix, San Antonio, Syracuse and Tucson, as well as with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Moscow State Symphony.
When Kobrin is not traveling and performing, he teaches at the Gnessin Academy of Music.
The first concert in the series was held in October and featured JoaquÃn Achúcarro, an international recording artist and SMU’s Joel Estes Tate Professor of Piano. The concert was named one of the top 10 concerts of 2006 by the DMN’s music critic Cantrell.
The second concert, held in January, featured SMU faculty member Alessio Bax, first-prize winner in the internationally renowned Leeds Pianoforte Competition.
Tickets for the concert are $25 for adults, $15 for seniors and $15 for SMU students, faculty and staff. For information, please call the Meadows Ticket Office at 214-768-2787.
