Beethoven

to be interpreted by a master at Middlebury College

MIDDLEBURY, Vt.—Stephen

Kovacevich’s interpretations of Beethoven are world-renowned and

he will share his gift with a Vermont audience Tuesday, April 17, at

7:30 p.m. in Middlebury College’s Concert Hall in the Center for

the Arts on South Main Street (Route 30).

His selections for the evening will

include “Moonlight Sonata” and Beethoven’s last piano sonata,

opus 111.

A concert pianist with a reputation

for radical interpretations of classical fare, Kovacevich is best

known for his performances and extensive recordings of

Beethoven’s later works. Some of his earliest recordings remain

standards in the music world against which other pianists—and

even Kovacevich himself—measure their work.

Born in Los Angeles, Kovacevich moved

to London as a young man and studied with the legendary British

pianist Dame Myra Hess. He emerged as a stunning talent and launched

a long career touring the world’s stages with orchestras in

Europe, Asia, the North America and Australia.

Both Kovacevich’s live and

recorded performances have received critical acclaim. “This is

probably how the young Beethoven himself sounded … this disc is

virtually flawless,” wrote Classic CD in 1999 of a Kovacevich’s

Beethoven release.

In late 1999, a reviewer at the

Pittsburgh City Paper remarked at how Kovacevich has not received

tremendous attention in the United States during his career: “Yet the

appearance of the 59-year-old pianist, performing Mozart’s Piano

Concerto 24 in C Minor with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, is

equivalent to hearing Vladimir Horowitz or Arthur Rubinstein in their

prime.”

After a recital in Kansas City a year

ago, a Kansas City Star reviewer said Kovacevich “played so

spontaneously that the piece sounded as if it were being composed

before us.”

Kovacevich records exclusively for

EMI International and recently recorded the complete Beethoven Piano

Sonatas. He has won prizes and received award nominations for his

studio work, including a Grammy Award nomination for a Brahms

recording and several Gramophone Awards.

Tickets are $10 for general admission

and $8 for senior citizens. A pre-performance dinner will be held at

6 p.m. in Rehearsals Cafe in the Center for the Arts. For tickets or

dinner reservations, call the College box office at

802-443-6433.

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