Athens, Ga. – Virtuoso pianist Evgeny Rivkin will present the first performance of the year for the University of Georgia Hugh Hodgson School of Music Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. in the Hodgson Concert Hall.
Rivkin has played in some of the world’s premier concert halls, including such venues as Carnegie Hall and Leipzig’s Gevandhaus. As Distinguished Professor of Piano in the Hodgson School, Rivkin has been featured in the 2nd Thursday Concert Series multiple times.
“It’s a wonderful tradition to have Evgeny involved in these concerts,” said Dale Monson, director of the school of music. “The level of care and musicianship he puts into his performances is always thrilling.”
Rivkin’s program will showcase works from composers spanning the late 18th to early 20th centuries, including Beethoven’s Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor “Quasi una fantasia,” commonly known as his “Moonlight Sonata.” Other featured compositions include works by Franz Liszt, Alexander Scriabin and Achille-Claude Debussy.
A native of Russia, Rivkin enjoyed a robust solo career prior to his arrival at UGA in 1995, including a first-place win in his home country’s International Tchaikovsky Competition. Since his appointment to UGA, he has continued to perform and teach worldwide, appearing throughout the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Europe and Russia.
Tickets for the performance are $18 for general admission and $5 for students. They are available at the UGA Performing Arts Center box office, by calling 706/542-4400 or online at www.pac.uga.edu.
Established in 1980, the 2nd Thursday Scholarship Series offers showcase performances by UGA students and faculty the second Thursday of each month throughout the academic year. Proceeds from individual ticket sales and season subscriptions allow for year-long academic scholarships and assistantships for students and present donors the opportunity to sponsor individual students of the music school at several levels of giving. In 2011, the 2nd Thursday series provided scholarships to 30 students based on faculty recommendations, academic achievement and performance ability.
The next concert in the series will feature the UGA Wind Ensemble in Hodgson Concert Hall on Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. For more information on the school of music, see www.music.uga.edu.
