PREVIEW AND LINKS: A month of piano concertos

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News

If piano concertos are your forte, then the upcoming month has a plethora of opportunities for you to enjoy your favorite genre, including:
• Today at 8 p.m. at Alex Theater, Glendale; Tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. at UCLA’s Royce Hall
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra; Ignat Solzhenitsyn, conductor & piano
The Russian-born Solzhenitsyn (who is also the middle son of famed Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn) plays and conducts Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor. Also: Haydn’s Symphony No. 103 (Drum Roll) and Lutoslawski’s Musique funèbre (Funeral Music).
Info: www.laco.org

• Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Segerstrom Concert Hall; Costa Mesa
Pacific Symphony; Carl St.Clair, conductor; Lang Lang, pianist
The celebrated Chinese pianist should be spectacular in Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 if he focuses on the music and tames down his showy (show-off?) podium manner. Also: Shastakovich’s Festive Overture and Tchaikovsky’s Suite from Swan Lake.
Info: www.pacificsymphony.org

• Feb. 3 at 8 p.m.; Segerstrom Concert Hall, Costa Mesa
Pacific Symphony; Carl St.Clair, conductor; Arnaldo Cohen, pianist
An all-Beethoven weekend begins with Cohen as soloist in the first and fourth piano concertos. Also: Fidelio Overture and Leonore Overture No. 3.
Info: www.pacificsymphony.org

• Feb. 4 at 8 p.m.; Segerstrom Concert Hall, Costa Mesa
Pacific Symphony; Carl St.Clair, conductor; Arnaldo Cohen, pianist
The all-Beethoven weekend continues with Cohen as soloist in the second and third concertos. Also: St.Clair conducts the first and second Romances. Info: www.pacificsymphony.org

• Feb. 5 at 8 p.m.; Segerstrom Concert Hall, Costa Mesa
Pacific Symphony; Carl St.Clair, conductor; Arnaldo Cohen, pianist
More Beethoven, with Cohen as soloist in the Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor) and St.Clair also leading the Symphony No. 7.
Info: www.pacificsymphony.org

• Feb. 6 at 3 p.m.; Segerstrom Concert Hall, Costa Mesa
Pacific Symphony; Carl St.Clair, conductor; Arnaldo Cohen, pianist
The all-Beethoven weekend concludes with another performance of the Emperor concerto.
Info: www.pacificsymphony.org

• Feb. 13 at 3 p.m.; Vic Lopez Auditorium (Whittier High School)
Rio Hondo Symphony; Kimo Furumoto, conductor; Mikhail Korzhev, pianist
The Russian-born pianist plays Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in this free concert. Also: Glinka’s Russlan and Ludmilla Overture and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Info: www.riohondysymphony.org

• Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Ambassador Auditorium
Pasadena Symphony; Matthias Bamert, conductor; Robert Thies, pianist
Thies, a well-known local pianist, is soloist in the Schumann Piano Concerto. Also: the conductor’s own composition, Ol-Okun, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 40.
Info: www.pasadenasymphony-pops.org
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(c) Copyright 2011, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.