The International Musical Olympus Festival Celebrates Five Rising Stars at Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall, NYC

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Attended & Photographed by Walt Ribeiro.

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1. Who did you see and where did you see them?

I saw Solenne Paidassi (Violin), Ilya Maximov (Piano), Simon Klavzar and Joze Bogolin (Percussion), and Anna Kasyan (Soprano) at Carnegie Hall.

2. What is the name of the tour?

The International Musical Olympus Festival.

3. How much was your ticket and where were your seats?

They were press seats. I sat in the middle of the floor section, which was great for pictures of the performance and to the acoustics of the venue.

4. Did you go with anyone?

I went alone, but later met up with my girlfriend.

5. Who opened for them?

It was a performance showcasing the top young masters from each main instrument (violin, piano, percussion, soprano)–so there was no ‘opening’ performance. But that’s what made it great, because the performance started as soon as took your seat. There was an intermission to set up the second half, which was good for conversing, taking a break, etc.

6. How long have you been a fan?

Musical Olympus was something I was not familiar with, but after learning about it, I was excited to spread the word to others. As for classical music, I’ve listened to it all of my life, as well as listening to today’s music and musicians. So this was an event I was incredibly interested in–to see the new performers take the stage.

7. Have you seen them before?

I haven’t seen the performers before, but I was familiar with some of the repertoire they performed (Berlioz, Rachmaninoff, etc.).

8. How long did they play for?

The musicians performed for about 20-25 minutes each.

9. What was your favorite song they played?

My favorite performance of the evening was the soprano vocalist, Anna Kasyan. The piece she sang was incredibly difficult, and her control of her voice was impressive. Not sure why I always enjoy voice so much–perhaps because it’s a natural instrument that we all have? There’s just something amazing about seeing someone have such a mastery over it.

10. What was the best part of the show?

The best part of the show was the violin player Solenne Paidassi. She kicked it off, which is very difficult to do for some people. The first performance sets the stage for the works to follow, and since I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself involved with, I was surprised, and immediately interested in what was to come. Plus, the violin is an incredibly romantic and expressive instrument, and to have it ‘speak’ is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.

11. How would you rate the show overall?

I loved it. There were no flashing lights, fire breathers, or loud amplifiers. While I enjoy that aspect of live shows, I enjoy the acoustic scene too, because you get to hear musicians and the instruments in their most natural and beautiful state. Overall, I got to hear new musicians, met great new friends, and saw my first Carnegie Hall performance.

12. Would you see them again?

Absolutely. Either as soloists, or with The Musical Olympus Foundation.

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The Musical Olympus Foundation, led by Irina Nikitina, presented an international music festival at Carnegie Hall on Thursday, April 7th at 7:30 p.m., which featured five, young, international music competition winners. The festival’s fourth return to the Carnegie stage, Slovenian percussion duo Simon Klavžar and Jože Bogolin, pianist Ilya Maximov of Russia, violinist Solenne Paidassi of France and soprano Anna Kasyan of Georgia performed at Zankel Hall to an energetic ovation. The performance was followed by a dinner reception at Petrossian.

Joining Musical Olympus Founder Irina Nikitina and Festival committee members Peter Ruof, Mariam Azarm, Tatiana Pouschine, Esmeralda Spinola Pedroni and Aspasia Zoumas, were applause leaders CeCe Cord, Jean Shafiroff, Ambassador Carl Spielvogel and BarbaraLee Spielvogel, American Ballet Theater principal dancers Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky, actress Cassandra Seidenfeld, Janna Bullock, fashion designer Maggie Norris, Sarah Scoffield, Elaine Sargent, Dr. Robert Grant, Michele Gerber Klein, Alexander Gregory, Gail Karr, Flor Riccio and cosmetic dentists Dr. Shawn Sadri and Dr. Laura Torrado.

Supported by the foundation’s honorary committee, which includes Claudio Abbado,
Daniel Barenboim,
Montserrat Caballé,
Placido Domingo,
Dmitri Hvorostovsky,
Mariss Jansons,
Yo-Yo Ma,
Zubin Mehta and
Yuri Temirkanov, Petrossian guests toasted the performances of the young musical prodigies. Percussionists Klavžar and Bogolin were also presented with the Audience Prize; an award to the favorite festival participant determined by the vote of concert attendees. The duo received a unique piece of silver artwork by Vladmir Mikhailov, an esteemed Russian artist.

Musical Olympus, with support from the World Public Forum “Dialogue of Civilizations” and other sponsors, is proud to have the opportunity to present this festival annually. This year, their rising stars were the winners of the: The International Percussion Duo Competition in Luxembourg, 2009, The Gabala International Piano Competition in Azerbaijan, 2009 and The Long—Thibaud International Violin Competition in Paris, 2010.

The Musical Olympus Foundation was established in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1995. The foundation develops and implements a range of international cultural projects, including the Musical Olympus Festival and an annual charitable ball. For more information, please visit www.musicalolympus.org .

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LINKS:

The Musical Olympus Foundation

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Special thanks to The Musical Olympus Foundation!

Questions by PMc Magazine

Answers by Walt Ribeiro

Edited by Jillian Mercado & Tyler Malone

Photography by Walt Ribeiro

Design by Jillian Mercado

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Page 1/Cover:

Solenne Païdassi violinist at Zankel Hall, at Carnegie Hall, 2011, New York City, Photography by Walt Ribeiro

Page 2:

(From left to right) Ilya Maximov pianist, Simon Klavžar and Jože Bogolin duo percussion, Anna Kasyan soprano and Ilya Maximov pianist, at Zankel Hall, at Carnegie Hall, 2011, New York City, Photography by Walt Ribeiro