Belmont University School of Music
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2024 7:30 P.M.
MCAFEE CONCERT HALL
Belmont University School of Music presents the
Woods PianoConcert Series Vadym Kholodenko, piano
I.
First Pavan and Galliard
William Byrd John Come and Kiss me now (1543-1623)
Ballade Kaija Saariaho (1952-2023)
Sonata in G Major, Op. 31, No. 1
Ludwig van Beethoven
Allegro vivace (1770-1827)
Adagio grazioso
Rondo: Allegretto
Intermission
II.
Three Mazurkas, Op. 56
Frédéric Chopin
No. 1 in B Major (1810-1849)
No. 2 in C Major
No. 3 in c minor
Four Mazurkas, Op. 41
No. 4 in c-sharp minor
No. 1 in e minor
No. 2 in B Major
No. 3 in A-flat Major
Sonata No. 3 in b minor, Op. 58
Allegro maestoso
Scherzo: Molto vivace
Largo
Finale: Presto non tanto
HARMONIA MUNDI
Exclusive Management: ARTS MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC., 130 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019
About the Performer
Combining fierce pianism, an unrivalled breadth of repertoire, and a level of interpretative refinement that ascends to the realms of poetry, Vadym Kholodenko rises as an artist the likes of which the world has rarely seen since the great pianists of the Golden Age.
Gold Medalist of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Kholodenko’s distinguished pianism and profound artistic gifts have led to invitations from many of the world’s finest orchestras and concert halls.
The 2024/2025 season sees Kholodenko debut with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano), Filarmonica della Scala (conducted by Susanna Mälkki), Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Karina Canellakis), and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Marie Jacquot), amongst others. He also returns to such celebrated orchestras as the Indianapolis Symphony (conducted by Jun Märkl), and the London Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Karina Canellakis).
Other recent and forthcoming concerto highlights include those with leading orchestras of North America (Atlanta Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra); Europe (Budapest Festival Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano G. Verdi, Orquesta Nacional de España, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra); and Asia & the Far East (National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra).
Kholodenko has held the position of Artist-in-Residence with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (Texas, USA), and the SWR Symphonieorchester (Stuttgart, Germany). He is Artist-in-Residence at London’s Bechstein Hall – a state-of-the-art new chamber music venue – in its inaugural season (2024/2025).
Kholodenko has forged strong musical partnerships with many of the world’s leading conductors, including Karina Canellakis, Myung-Whun Chung, Christoph Eschenbach, Iván Fischer, Marie Jacquot, Cristian Măcelaru, Susanna Mälkki, Jun Märkl, Gemma New, Sir Antonio Pappano, Dima Slobodeniouk, Thomas Søndergård, Krzyzstof Urbański, and Kazuki Yamada, amongst others.
In recital, Kholodenko appears on the world’s leading stages – from London, Paris, and Vienna, to Boston, Chicago, and New York – where he is praised for his “iron-clad technique, capable of moments of crystalline delicacy” (The Guardian). He is also a thoughtful and committed chamber musician, enjoying rewarding collaborations with an array of such artists as Clara Jumi-Kang, Anastasia Kobekina, Vadim Repin, and the Belcea and Jerusalem string quartets. He has made numerous recordings with violinist Alena Baeva, with whom recent and forthcoming appearances include concerts in the cultural capitals of Florence, London, and Paris.
Possessing an extraordinary facility for the assimilation of music, the sheer scale of Kholodenko’s knowledge and command of the piano literature is unrivalled, and he holds a vast array of active repertoire. His discography to date encompasses solo piano works by a diverse list of composers (J.S. Bach, Balakirev, Beethoven, Chaplygin, Kurbatov, Liszt, Medtner, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Rzewski, Schubert, Scriabin, Siloti, Stravinsky, and Tchaikovsky, amongst others). Recordings for the Harmonia Mundi record label include the Grieg Piano Concerto, Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No.2, and the complete cycle of Prokofiev’s piano concertos.
Kholodenko’s recordings have been described as “truly outstanding” (Gramophone Magazine), and received such accolades as Editor’s Choice Award (BBC Music Magazine), and the muchcoveted Diapason d’Or de l’année. His latest release – a pairing of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations and Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated! for the Quartz Music label (2022) – met with tremendous critical acclaim, described as “carefully contoured and impactful” (BBC Music Magazine), and “playing that pulls no punches: Kholodenko is in the elite of classical pianists” (Norman Lebrecht, for The Critic).
Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Vadym Kholodenko took his first piano lessons at the age of six, and began touring internationally at thirteen years old. He was educated at the Kyiv Lysenko State Music Lyceum and the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, under the renowned pedagogues Natalia Gridneva, Borys Fedorov, and Vera Gornostaeva. He won First Prize at the Sendai International Piano Competition (2010) and Schubert International Piano Competition (2011), before taking the Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (2013). He is now resident in Luxembourg.
Bio from vadymkholodenko.com
Woods Piano Concert Series Previous Guest Artists
Dror Biran
1997 Silver Medalist, Cleveland International Piano Competition
Sean Chen
2013 Crystal Award, Van Clibum International Piano Competition
Olga Kern
2001 Gold Medalist, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Vadym Kholodenko
2013 Gold Medalist, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Alexander Kobrin
2005 Gold Medalist, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
George Li
2015 Silver Medalist, Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition
Spencer Meyer
2008 Gold Medalist, New Orleans International Piano Competition
Jon Nakamatsu
1997 Gold Medalist, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Alberto Reyes
1970 Honors, Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition
Yeol Eum Son
2009 Silver Medalist, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Joyce Yang
2005 Silver Medalist, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Sean Chen
2013 Crystal Award, Van Clibum International Piano Competition
Merrydale Sutherland Woods (1915-2007)
“My passion has always been the piano and making music,” said Merrydale Woods, ninety-one, upon making a decision in 2006 to leave a bequest in her will that ultimately would create an endowed scholarship for talented piano majors and fund enough new Steinway pianos for Belmont University’s School of Music to become an All-Steinway School, a prestigious designation held by few Schools of Music across the country. In addition, her largesse has made possible The Woods Piano Concert Series, which began in 2010.
Mrs. Woods was married for sixty-eight years to her “soulmate,” Hunter Woods, who had a successful business that required much travel. He retired early and spent many years studying and investing in the stock market. They had no children and so Mrs. Woods decided early on that she wanted her own career to pursue her passion for classical music through teaching piano in her home. Hundreds of young people benefitted from her teaching over the years, many of whom kept in touch long into their adult lives.
Beethoven and Mozart were always her favorites but she could play an amazing jazz or contemporary medley of tunes as well. When she made the decision to include the Belmont University School of Music in her will, Mrs. Woods said, “I hope the endowed scholarship fund will help others enjoy the music making I’ve enjoyed over the years. If you end up loving music, it is wonderful because you can then share it with someone else. When I was young, there were many people who helped me along the way. I now know that my life has had a greater purpose – that after my death there will be young people at Belmont who will be able to pursue their passion for music – and that makes me feel good.”
The School of Music is very appreciative of the wonderful gift from the estate of Merrydale Woods and is pleased to present tonight’s performance.
Belmont University School of Music
The Belmont University School of Music is one of the largest and most comprehensive music schools in the South. A stimulating artistic community that fosters the study of performance and creation of music in a context of excellence and respect for diversity in musical styles, the School of Music has over 700 music majors who are instructed by sixty-one full-time and seventy-six adjunct faculty. A variety of degrees may be earned, including the professional music degree, Bachelor of Music, with majors in performance (brass, guitar, organ, percussion, piano, strings, voice, and woodwinds), church music, commercial music, composition, music education, musical theatre, music technology, music theory, music therapy, music with an outside minor, and piano pedagogy. Other degrees include the Bachelor of Arts with a general major in music, Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in musical theatre, and Master of Music with majors in church music, commercial music, composition, music education, music teaching, multiple woodwinds, pedagogy, and performance.
The School of Music provides a broad range of instrumental ensemble participation to all students. University offerings include Bass Ensemble, Bluegrass Ensemble, Concert Band, Guitar Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, New Music Ensemble, Pep Band, Percussion Ensemble, Rock Ensemble, String Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, World Music ensemble, and chamber ensembles for brass, strings, and woodwinds. Vocal and choral ensembles include Bel Canto, Chamber Singers, Chorale, Company, Jazzmin, Phoenix, The Popular Music Ensemble, Southbound, University Singers, The Vocal Collective, and Voxology. Faculty ensembles at Belmont include the Belmont Camerata Musicale, Belmont Brass Quintet, Belmont Woodwind Quintet, and Faculty Jazz.
A School of Music highlight is the annual presentation of Christmas at Belmont, a concert featuring the diversity of musical offerings at the university We are excited to share Christmas at Belmont Live from Nashville with a global audience this season starting December 11 on Prime Video and Amazon Music on Twitch.
Upcoming Concerts and Events
Faculty Jazz Group
Wednesday, November 13 7:30 p.m. Massey Concert Hall
Musical Theatre
Twelfth Night
Wednesday, November 13, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 14, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 15, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 16, 7:30 p.m. Troutt Theater
Tickets for this event are required and can be reserved through the Belmont Box Office.
The Vocal Collective
Saturday, November 16, 6:00 p.m. Massey Concert Hall
The Popular Music Ensemble
Saturday, November 16, 8:30 p.m. Massey Concert Hall
Classical String Quartets
Monday, November 18, 7:30 p.m. Harton Recital Hall
New Music Ensemble
Tuesday, November 19, 7:30 p.m. McAfee Concert Hall
Chamber Brass
Wednesday, November 20, 10:00 a.m. McAfee Concert Hall
Concert Band and Wind Ensemble
Wednesday, November 20, 7:30 p.m. McAfee Concert Hall
For more information on upcoming concerts and events, please visit www.belmont.edu/cmpa or “like” Belmont University School of Music on Facebook.
