Friday, March 13, 2009

Wyoming Piatigorsky tour announced


From a Wyoming States Parks and Cultural Resources press release:

Clarinetist Igor Begelmen (shown in photo) and piano accompanist Anna Vinnitsky will perform a 10-concert tour of Wyoming March 30 through April 7. The public is invited to attend these free concerts that will be hosted in Evanston, Kemmerer, Green River, Dubois, Lander, Thermopolis, Greybull and Buffalo.

Details concerning venue, date and time of the concerts will be available in the near future.

The Muriel and Dr. Seymour Thickman Family Charitable Foundation in Sheridan underwrites the tour which features the two nationally known artists. This is the fourth year that the Thickman Family Foundation has sponsored the tour. The Piatigorsky Foundation is a national arts services organization, whose mission is to bring live classical music to individuals who do not have the geographical access or financial means to attend concerts.

Clarinetist Igor Begelmen has been praised by critics as a "remarkable display of music making" – which has earned him an impressive list of awards, engagements and honors.

Begelman has appeared as soloist with major orchestras in the United States and abroad. Raised in Kiev, Ukraine, Begelman received his master’s degree from The Juilliard School of Music and his bachelor’s degree from The Manhattan School of Music. His affiliation with The Piatigorsky Foundation allows him to teach and perform classical music in less traditional settings.

Pianist Anna Vinnitsky is a distinguished artist of great versatility whose piano repertoire embraces all genres and styles, and ranges from the innovations of late Renaissance and the elegancy of Chopin to the comprehensiveness of contemporary music.

Ms. Vinnitsky is enjoying an extensive career as a soloist and collaborative artist. She has appeared to critical acclaim at some of the world’s most prestigious concert venues, including Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Germany and Merkin Concert Hall in New York City, among others.

Currently, Ms. Vinnitsky holds the position of staff accompanist at The Mannes College of Music, and a teaching position at St. Luke’s School in New York City, while also pursuing her doctoral degree in piano performance at Stony Brook University Department of Music.

This year’s tour was coordinated by the Wyoming Arts Council in conjunction with the Piatigorsky Foundation.

For more information about this and other Wyoming Arts Council Programs, please call 307-777-7742.