The LSU School of Music is will host the Symposium on Prokofiev and the Russian Tradition, a three-day event focusing on the life and work of prolific Russian composer Sergey Prokofiev.
The event is composed of three concerts, presentations and workshops and will take place between Feb. 25 and Feb. 27. The Symposium’s concerts will feature some of Prokofiev’s most significant compositions as well as the world premiere of two of his pieces: fragments of his unfinished Piano Concerto No. 6 and “Music for Athletes,” a piece written for pianos and dancers.
The LSU School of Music was given exclusive permission from Prokofiev’s heirs in London and Paris to perform these pieces. Delegates from over 11 nations, including Prokofiev’s grandson and the Russian Minister of Culture, will attend.
“In a way, we’ve made LSU a cultural center for all of these interesting events,” assistant professor of music theory and Director of the Prokofiev Symposium Inessa Bazayev said. “Some of the most well-known scholars in the field of Russian music will be in attendance.”
Prokofiev is widely recognized as one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. Some of his most well-known works include “Peter and the Wolf,” the ballet“Romeo and Juliet” and “The Love for Three Oranges.”
“Our event coincides with [Prokofiev’s] 125th birthday, and it’s eclipsing all of the festivals that are scheduled later this year in Russia,” Bazayev said.
This evening’s concert will be the only one of the weekend that will be open to the public and completely free of charge. It will take place in the School of Music’s Recital Hall and will be composed of two distinct halves.
The first half, which won’t feature any Prokofiev but will honor a number of other Soviet composers, will be performed entirely by members of LSU’s faculty. The second half will feature Barbara Nissman, a prominent pianist and the first person to record all of Prokofiev’s piano sonatas in 1989.
Friday’s concert will also be held in the Recital Hall and cost $10 for faculty and students and $15 for the general public. Frederic Chiu, a freelance pianist with more then 20 albums under his belt, will speak and perform a number of Prokofiev pieces. Chiu will also lead a workshop Saturday afternoon that will feature three LSU piano students.
Saturday’s concert will take place in the LSU Union Theater and will feature the premiere of two Prokofiev pieces. Professors of piano Michael Gurt and Gregory Sioles will perform fragments of Prokofiev’s unfinished Piano Concerto No. 6.
The concert will also feature a concerto composed by Prokofiev’s grandson, Gabriel Prokofiev. For this piece, professor of percussion Brett Dietz will man the bass drum and be accompanied by the LSU Philharmonia. Gabriel will also lead a composition workshop Saturday afternoon.
The Symposium will host two keynote speakers, Simon Morrison of Princeton University and Richard Taruskin of the University of California, Berkeley.