December 3 concert: Boris Andrianov - friends in town series

As we enjoy here in the Angelic City of ours a constellation of extraordinary talent that we so often enjoy within our Classical Underground platform, we often miss our good friends, some going many ears back, but who visit us rarely. Those who were fortunate enough to stay till midnight at March 2nd concert to hear our dear friend Boris Andrianov, know what I am talking about.

As my painting path taks me to far corners of the World as of late, we almost missed each other with Boris this time around... and I simply couldn't stand the thought of missing one of my personal favorite musicians of our time.

Well, as the main premise of Classical Underground is to showcase the greatest "Classical" has to offer, as, in our view, the only way ART can exist, and we never flinch to experiment to this end as we enjoy the journey - we are extremely excited to announce the Classical Underground Special - our new "Friends in Town Showcase" ... and yes, our first offering is Boris Andrianov and Friends!!!!!

Guest star:
Boris Andrianov - cello
together with:
Elizavetta Andrianov - piano
Yana Reznik - piano
Roberto Cani - violin

The program to be announced at the concert - Boris Andrianov carte blanche and the Shostakovich piano trio.



Since the last time reservation and admission process worked out, we ask you to pre-pay for your entrance even if you would like to come later in the evening - with PayPal (accepts all credit cards and bank accounts). Your pre-payment will be your reservation. Please bring the receipt to the concert please. Sorry, no refunds.

we are sold out!

November 9 Programme

alexey steele presents
CLASSICAL UNDERGROUND
November 9, 2009
Chamber music series
Music director Maksim Velichkin

Jörg Widmann "Air"
Ben Jaber-horn

J.Brahms Waltz Medley Opus 39
F.Chopin Fantaisie Impromptu
Improvisation off a Chopin Nocturne
Rex Lewis-Clack-piano

P. Tchaikovsky Meditation
Lyudmila Adzhemova -violin
Maksim Velichkin-piano

M.Ravel Ondine
W. Bolcom Serpent's Kiss Ragtime
Georgi Slavchev-piano

J.S. Bach Sarabande from Suite no.6
N.Paganini Caprice #17
August Lee -cello

N. Burgmüller Duo op.15
Sergei Vassilyev-clarinet
Harout Senekeremian-piano

Duke Ellington T.G.T.T. from Second Sacred Service
Tricia Oney-lyric soprano

F.Liszt Rhapsody # 12
Yana Reznik-piano

INTERMISSION

J.S. Bach Invention (arrangement with viola)
Serge Oskotsky-cello, Alexander Gurevich-viola

P.Hindemith duo for 2 cellos
Serge Oskotsky-cello, Maksim Velichkin-cello

F.Liszt Funerailles
Soo Lee-piano

Schumann Adagio and Allegro
"Duo Esperanza"
Joo Lee-cello
Soo Lee-piano

I.Albeniz : from "Iberia":
El Puerto
Almeria
Triana
Regulo Martinez-piano

J. Williams Theme from "Schindler's List"
S. Prokofiev March from "The Love For Three Oranges"
Saschka Haberl-violin
Yana Reznik-piano

N.Kapustin Variations Op 41
Harout Senekeremian-piano

*****

CLASSICAL UNDERGROUND SHOWCASE

focusing on a classical art form of serious contemporary representational art

CU Painter: Leonid Steele

Today's my Dad's birthday...he turned 88, a Great Man, a Warrior of Art, Maestro and Living Classic...he come to the studio today and we painted a nude.

It was special indeed...he blasted half of 18" X 24" before we even got to set up...he wrote a poem tonight, in Russian of course, but the meaning of it was that time has no power over feeling and once you go just by your feeling, you remain eternally young...he should know

This is a portrait of my grandmother he did in 1954.

Portrait of Mother 31" x 39" oil on canvas

A deep realist who transformed through his humanist eye the collective artistic effort of his generation into timeless images that speak to us now, Classical Underground celebrates the life-long work of a Master for whom ART was and is a way of LIFE.

November 9 is Sold Out

It never seizes to amaze us, but we are sold out of all allocated spaces by 12:30 p.m.

Thank you for your support and appreciation of Classical Underground platform. We hope to see you all at our future events that are in the works.

November 9th CU Chamber Music Series

Dear friends,

As you know, our Classical Underground is an experiment - a joint experiment where everyone is contributing their presence, ideas, talent, attention, and interests. As we are growing, we are trying to avoid any "growing pains" and keep it fun and easy.

Classical Underground is the place where you are surrounded with art, meet new and old friends, relax with some wine and, of course, listen to the great music - all in the artistic and inspirational environment.

We decided to try to simplify the RSVP process, and are asking you to pre-pay for your entrance with PayPal (accepts all credit cards and bank accounts). Your pre-payment will be your reservation. Please don't forget to provide your name in the special field for the notes.

P.S. due to the number of people who wanted to come last time, please note that only those who pre-paid will be admitted - even if you would like to come later in the evening. All sales are final.

Notes from our audience - from you! Thank you!

Wow! What a beautiful evening we had on September 28! I think that your words speak better than anything else. Here are some warm words you sent us - and thank you again for making it happen!

What an exceptional evening. I felt honored to be a part of such an incredibly rich event. - Romy

AMAZING...CAN'T WAIT TILL THE NEXT...WHAT YOU HAVE CREATED IS BEYOND WORDS...EMBRACING ART...SO COMPLETELY
... AN EXTRAORDINARY... SPACE SURROUNDED WITH ARCHITECTURE, PAINTING, SCULPTURE, MUSIC, PEOPLE AND FOOD! THNK YOU SO MUCH! xo kara

Thank you so much…for your effort, for astounding quality, for a generous and easy vibe, for excellent management, for inclusion and gathering those people together and letting me come be with them, and above all, for a “not one thing felt weird or less than fabulous” evening!

Well done by all of you, Classical Underground! - Lisa

Thank you for a wonderful evening and a great time! Can't wait for the next one! - Tim

Thank you and bravo!

Last night was thrilling. There were moments when I felt the top of my head might actually blow off from from the excitement of all that virtuosity! Everything about the evening was first class: the magnificent performers, the superb programming, the astonishing music, the setting (with Alexey's glorious artwork), the warmth of the host and hostess, the enthusiastic audience.I feel as though I've finally found my home "tribe," and I can hardly wait for your next! - Judith

September 28 Programme

We thank Steinway Piano Gallery of Hollywood for supporting CU mission and for providing their incredible D291 concert fleet piano that sounded within “Grand Atelier” unique acoustics and setting like nothing we’ve ever heard.

Thank you, Gavin! Thank you, Jura!

alexey steele presents
CLASSICAL UNDERGROUND
Chamber Music Series
Music Director Maksim Velichkin

SPONSORED by STEINWAY PIANO GALLERY


M. Bruch. Kol Nidrei
Maksim Velichkin-cello, Yana Reznik-piano

B. Smetana. Piano Trio 1st m-nt
Julia Salerno-violin, Joo Lee-cello, David Kempe-piano

Marcel Grandjany. Pastorale
Vanessa Sheldon. Journey of a Falling Leaf
Gabriel Fauré. Pavane
Gioaccino Rossini. Allegro Brillante from Sonata for Harp
Vanessa Sheldon-harp

Frederic Chopin Mazurka C sharp minor, Op. 30, No. 4 (1810 -1849)
Ballade in G minor, Op. 23
Jura Margulis-piano

Paul Coletti "From My Heart"
Tina Guo-cello, Yana Reznik-piano

Paul Spaeth. Inner Realm
Parts I, II, III
A. Copland "The Cat and the Mouse"
Yana Reznik-piano

N. Paganini. Moses Variations
Tina Guo, Maksim Velichkin-celli

INTERMISSION

Claude Debussy Reflets dans l'eau (1862-1918) L´isle joyeuse
Jura Margulis-piano

M. de Falla. Siete Canciones Populares
Charlene Chi-mezzo-soprano, Jordan Rashkov-piano

N. Paganini. Nel Cor Piu
Roberto Cani-violin

A. Scriabin. Sonata #5
Pavel Petrov-piano

Gernot Wolfgang. Common Ground
1. Blues Upside Down
2. Trading Places
3. Igor, At Last
Armen Ksajikian-cello
Judith Farmer-bassoon

E. Chausson Poeme
Radu Pieptea-violin, Kanae Matsumoto-piano

******

CLASSICAL UNDERGROUND SHOWCASE

focusing on a classical art form of serious contemporary representational art

Fr. Electrico Bronze · 36" x 18" x 18"

Sculptor CHRISTOPHER SLATOFF

Jura Margulis Coming to Classical Underground!

CU celebrates the first participation of an old friend, the international concert pianist and recording artist Jura Margulis, who comes to LA to play for us from Fayetteville, where he is the McAllister Professor of Piano at the University of Arkansas.



When Jura Margulis will come up to play on Sept. 28, it will certainly be a rare moment for all music lovers at CU; it will also be a very special moment for me personally. It is not only because Jura is a world class pianist and a close personal friend, it is also because Jura is a second generation of world class pianists close personal friends.
His father, Prof. Vitaly Margulis, one of the world greatest and renowned piano gurus whom I consider one of genuine High Priests of Music and Arts, is one of the friends of youth of my father. He is also one of the essential influences in my love of Classical Music. It started way back in the late 40s, very hard years right after the devastation of Nazi invasion and what is known in Russia as Great Patriotic War. My Dad’s first love Emma, a wonderful pianist with whom they remained life-long friends, once took him, as she put it very simply and understatedly, to “hear a Genius.” My Dad was a bright young star-student at the Leningrad Art Academy /Repin Institute/ and the “Genius” was a star-student of the Leningrad Conservatory rocking the vibrant world of Leningrad music lovers. It was, of course, Vitaly Margulis. They became instant friends until Vitaly immigrated to the West in the 70s to become one of the world’s most admired piano teachers and a musicians’ musician. After not seeing each other for almost 25 years, they improbably reunited in Los Angeles as Vitaly came from Germany to assume his professor position at UCLA.


Childhood memories of our Kiev living-room gatherings and Vitaly’s world of worshipping true ART and the magic of inseparable interaction of music and painting that he brought with him to LA became some of the most important inspirations for our Classical Underground model. Soon after joyous and much celebrated in various forms reunion, which included incidentally our joined experience of 1994 Northridge Earthquake in our Marina Del Rey apartment, I met Jura, who just came to the US to study with legendary Leon Fleisher in Baltimore.

Right after we met and started talking, we’d spend till morning wee hours in a continuous conversations (amongst other things) about ART, its place and future in human society, about our visions, dreams, and hopes. Rarely had I seen anyone with a similar combination and facility of musical and intellectual prowess. Rarely had I met anyone who shared my views on ART and its future more fundamentally and intensely. Some of our grand ideas turned into earliest projects in spreading our message that we created together. For over a decade, before CU, we have been talking about what is High ART and how to guard and preserve it for posterity, how to give it new life and how to present it to the present, how it can and will change the world. What fun it was…and most definitely, many years after, still is.

I shall say no more of Jura, as his numerous recordings, international critical praise and his unique and magnificent music making speak for themselves. Come, meet, and hear him on September 28th.

Alexey Steele

P.S. Jura, a Steinway Artist, is the reason we will have a magnificent Steinway Grand piano for our concert on September 28th. When he visited CU in May this year, he said: we need a better piano. He contacted Steinway in New York, pulled a few strings, and sure enough – with great people like Gavin at Steinway Hollywood we got a full feature sponsoring of our event. We hope this is the beginning of a long friendship ...



About Jura Margulis:

Pianist Jura Margulis has been recognized for his compellingly communicative performances, as well as for the range of his tonal palette and his consummate virtuosity. Reviewers have praised the “absolute authority” of his interpretations and the sense of “controlled obsession” he transmits at the keyboard (Fono Forum). The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung noted that his aesthetic is both “impulsive and contemplative.” The Los Angeles Times praised his “excellent pianism” and called him “highly musical”. The Washington Post applauded his “titanic reserves of sheer power” and his “effortless spontaneity.”

His orchestral appearances include performances with the Russian National Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the Südwestrundfunk Orchestra. He has played in numerous festivals, including the Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival, the Berliner Festwochen, the International Sommeracademy Mozarteum in Austria, the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, and the Argerich-Beppu Music Festival in Japan. He has won prizes in more than a dozen international competitions, including Busoni in Italy and Guardian in Ireland. He is also a recipient of the esteemed Pro Europa prize awarded by the European Foundation for Culture. Active as a chamber musician, Margulis has performed recitals with, among others, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, the soloists of the Moscow Virtuosi, members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Moscow String Quartet. He also concertizes with Martha Argerich on two pianos in Germany, Japan, and the USA.

Margulis latest CD

Margulis is a third generation pianist and teacher and gives master classes in the USA, Europe, and Asia. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Jura Margulis was raised in Germany, where he studied with his father, Dr. Vitaly Margulis, at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg. He was also a student at the prestigious Fondazione per il Pianoforte in Cadenabbia at Lake Como in Italy. He moved to the United States to study with Leon Fleisher at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, and made the US his home. Margulis is the inaugural holder of the "Emily J. McAllister Endowed Professorship in Piano" at the J.W. Fulbright College of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Jura Margulis’ full bio can be seen at www.juramargulis.com