CONTACT: Rich Brase [email protected] 503.730.2201 Aug 28, 2015

Alexander Melnikov Opens Portland Piano International’s 2015/2016 Season With Shostakovich’s Monumental Opus 87

(Portland, OR) Portland Piano International is proud to open its wonderful 38th Season with recitals on September 26 and 27, 2015 by the remarkable Russian pianist, Alexander Melnikov. Both performances will be at 4 pm in Portland State University’s Lincoln Hall.

His program on Saturday, September 26 will include: • Fantasie in C Major, Op. 15D.760 and 3 Klavierstücke by Schubert • 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 (Nos. 1-12) by Shostakovich

On Sunday: • 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 (Nos. 13-24) by Shostakovich

Lincoln Hall is located at 1620 SW Park in Portland. Each recital is being underwritten by a generous contribution by Carol Edelman.

Performances of Shostakovich’s entire Preludes and Fugues cycle are rare, and Melnikov is well-poised for an unforgettable experience. His recording of the complete 24 Preludes and Fugues by Shostakovich was named by the BBC Music Magazine as one of the “50 Greatest Recordings of All Time” and was also awarded the BBC Music Magazine Award, Choc de classica and the Jahrespreis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik.

“We are fortunate to have a pianist with Alexander’s refinement and sensitivity,” said Artistic Director Arnaldo Cohen. “This will be a special treat for our audiences—playing all of the Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues over two days is an impressive feat!"

About Alexander Melnikov Alexander Melnikov graduated from the Conservatory under . His most formative musical moments in Moscow include his early encounter with Svjatoslav Richter, who thereafter regularly invited him to festivals in Russia and France. He was awarded important prizes at such eminent competitions as the International Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau (1989) and the Concours Musical Reine Elisabeth in Brussels (1991).

As a soloist, Alexander Melnikov has performed with orchestras including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Philadelphia Orchestra, NDR Sinfonieorchester, HR-Sinfonieorchester, Russian National Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic and the NHK Symphony, under conductors such as Mikhail Pletnev, Teodor Currentzis, Charles Dutoit, Paavo Järvi, Philippe Herreweghe and Valery Gergiev. Known for his often unusual musical and programmatic decisions, Alexander Melnikov discovered a career-long interest in historical performance practice at an early age. His major influences in this field include Andreas Staier and , with whom he collaborated on numerous projects. Melnikov performs regularly with such distinguished period ensembles as the Freiburger Barockorchester, Concerto Köln, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin and Orchestre des Champs-Élysées. Additionally, Melnikov’s discography features works by Brahms, Rachmaninoff and Scriabin; his recording of the Shostakovich piano concertos with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Teodor Currentzis was also met with critical acclaim.

Together with Andreas Staier, Alexander Melnikov developed a program that sets excerpts from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier (Andreas Staier , harpsichord) in musical dialogue with Shostakovich's 24 Preludes and Fugues (Alexander Melnikov, piano). The artists have also recently added a unique all-Schubert program of four-hand pieces to their repertoire. Intensive chamber music collaborations with partners including cellists Alexander Rudin and Jean-Guihen Queyras, as well as the baritone Georg Nigl, also form an essential part of Melnikov’s work.

Portland Piano International is dedicated to presenting the finest pianists in the world in recital settings and outreach activities for the purpose of enriching and educating our community. Funders and sponsors include the Oregon Community Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, Regional Arts & Culture Council, Work for Art, James F. and Marion Miller Foundation, Oregon Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, Portland Piano Company, Higgins Restaurant, Portland State University and All Classical Media.

Portland Piano International P.O. Box 6469 Portland, OR 97228 503.228.1388 portlandpiano.org