After the Accordion Virtuosi of Russia concert on Saturday, November 21, 2015, you’re invited to meet your concert-going friends at a reception at Titletown Brewing Company and nibble on complimentary snacks after the concert. A big thanks to the Titletown Brewing Company for supplying the space and the snacks.
Location: Titletown Brewing Company, 200 Dousman St, Green Bay, WI
Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on WPNE, 89.3, WPR Host Ruthanne Bessman plays listener’s classical requests on Classics by Request.
Although the WPR music library probably doesn’t include any recordings by the Accordion Virtuosi of Russia. It would work to request something on the program such as Glinka’s Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla, the intermezzo from Mascagni’s “Cavalleria rusticana,” Tchaikovsky’s trepak from “Nutcracker,” Bizet’s overture to “Carmen,” or Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance.”
Listeners can submit their requests online at http://www.wpr.org/classics-request or call in toll free during the show at 800-442-7106. This is a great chance to get the word out about Brown County Civic Music Association and hear the Accordion Virtuosi of Russia. Be sure to mention that they will be performing in Green Bay at the Ralph Holter Auditorium, West High School, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21.
Perkins Restaurants will donate 10% of all sales between 5 and 8 pm to Brown County Civic Music Association at Perkins on the corner of Military and Shawano on the evenings of Wednesday, Nov. 18, and Dec. 16.
Season Listing | Program | Biography
Pavel Smirnov founded the Accordion Virtuosi of Russia at St. Petersburg in 1943 in war-torn Russia. Within six months they were invited to record on state radio. Three generations of the Smirnov family have led Accordion Virtuosi of Russia: first Pavel, the founder, and now his sons Yuri and Vladimir, and his grandson Yaroslav.
Accordion Virtuosi of Russia has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Leipzig Gewandhaus, Verona’s Arena, Olympia Hall in Paris, and the Great Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg.
The group has toured extensively in Germany, Italy, France, Holland, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Spain, Japan, Guinea, Angola, Sierra Leone, Congo, China and Canada. They were invited to be a part of the cultural program for the Olympic Games in Munich (1972), Montreal (1976), and Moscow (1980).
Accordion Virtuosi of Russia has won competitions in Russia such as “Musical Carousel” and “Peter-Pavel Assemblies.” Most recently, Accordion Virtuosi of Russia was included in the prestigious “Golden Book of St. Petersburg” for artistic achievements, and was named the “best accordion orchestra of Europe of 2013” by the orchestral society EU Musika in Frankfurt, Germany.
Yuri Smirnov is the Accordion Virtuosi of Russia’s Artistic Director and has worked with the orchestra since 1967. He is a professor at the State University of the Arts and head of the “Union of the Arts Workers” in St. Petersburg, Russia. Most recently he received the title of “People’s Artist of the Russian Federation” from the Russian government. This prestigious honor is given to a very small number of artists each year for their outstanding work in the field of the Arts.
Vladimir Smirnov has been the Principal Conductor of the orchestra from 1978. He has taught several generations of the orchestra’s players and received the prestigious title of the “Honored Artist of the Russian Federation” for dedication in his work with the orchestra.
Alexander Yakushev (electric violin) has been a regular soloist with the Accordion Virtuosi of Russia since 1996. Mr. Yakushev has also performed extensively around the world in solo recital, and is a winner of several music competitions. He appears regularly on TV programs in Russia, and is in high demand for his unusual and capturing arrangements of popular tunes for his instrument.
Ilya Yakushev, with many awards and honors, mesmerizes audiences on three continents. In the U.S., his performances of two Prokofiev concerti in the 2007 San Francisco “Prokofiev Festival” with Michael Tilson Thomas were included in the top ten classical music events of the year by the San Francisco Chronicle, and prompted a return there in 2009 with Maestro Tilson Thomas. In addition to many concerto and recital appearances in the U.S., Mr. Yakushev has appeared extensively in his native Russia, Japan, Korea, and Singapore. He is the Executive Director of the International Keyboard Institute and Festival at the Mannes School of Music in New York, where he studied with the legendary pianist Vladimir Feltsman.
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Season Listing | Program | Biography
FESTIVAL TOUR OF THE
A C C O R D I O N V I R T U O S I O F R U S S I A
Yuri Smirnov, Artistic Director and Conductor
Vladimir Smirnov, Conductor
Alexander Yakushev, electric violin
Ilya Yakushev, piano soloist
(Accordion Virtuosi of Russia founded by Pavel Smirnov)
Program I
Overture to the opera Russlan and Ludmilla GLINKA
March from The Love for Three Oranges PROKOFIEV
Intermezzo from the opera Cavalleria rusticana MASCAGNI
Trepak from the ballet Nutcracker TCHAIKOVSKY
Perpetuum Mobile, Op. 257 J. STRAUSS
Nocturne (Ilya Yakushev, soloist) ARNO BABADJANIAN
Overture to the opera Carmen BIZET
Czardas (Alexander Yakushev, soloist) VITTORIO MONTI
“Sabre Dance” from the ballet Gayane KHACHATURIAN
Intermission
Program II
Excerpts from West Side Story BERNSTEIN
“The Ragtime Dance” JOPLIN
Russian folk song “In the Valley” arr. MATVEEV
“Flurries” (Ilya Yakushev, soloist) ALEXANDER TSFASMAN
Improvisations on a theme “Lonely accordion” VLADIMIR CHERNIKOV
“Hoe-down” from the ballet Rodeo COPLAND (arr. Emerson)
“Over the Rainbow” (Alexander Yakushev, soloist) ARLEN
“Train to Odessa” (Alexander Yakushev, soloist) VLADIMIR SMIRNOV
Russian folk song “Barinya” arr. A. SEREBRYAKOV
The Accordion Virtuosi of Russia
Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015 • 7:30 p.m.
After a sensational start with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Ensemble we shift to far eastern Europe and a different musical style with the Accordion Virtuosi of Russia. We should be in for quite a treat with this 37-member group of 30 accordions, plus harp, guitar, piano, percussion, led by a violinist-conductor. Their program will bring to life a delightful mix of traditional Russian folk songs as well as familiar classical and American favorites.
Pavel Smirnov founded the Accordion Virtuosi of Russia at St. Petersburg in 1943 in war-torn Russia. Within six months they were invited to record on state radio. Three generations of the Smirnov family have led Accordion Virtuosi of Russia: first Pavel, the founder, and now his sons Yuri and Vladimir, and his grandson Yaroslav.
Accordion Virtuosi of Russia has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Leipzig Gewandhaus, Verona’s Arena, Olympia Hall in Paris, and the Great Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg.
The group has toured extensively in Germany, Italy, France, Holland, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Spain, Japan, Guinea, Angola, Sierra Leone, Congo, China and Canada. They were invited to be a part of the cultural program for the Olympic Games in Munich (1972), Montreal (1976), and Moscow (1980).
Accordion Virtuosi of Russia has won competitions in Russia such as “Musical Carousel” and “Peter-Pavel Assemblies.” Most recently, Accordion Virtuosi of Russia was included in the prestigious “Golden Book of St. Petersburg” for artistic achievements, and was named the “best accordion orchestra of Europe of 2013” by the orchestral society EU Musika in Frankfurt, Germany. See the group’s biography.
Selections on our program will include music from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker,” the overture to Bizet’s “Carmen,” Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance,” excerpts from Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” “The Ragtime Dance” by Joplin, the Russian folk song “In the Valley,” “Hoe-down” from Copland’s “Rodeo” and Arlen’s “Over the Rainbow.”
Brown County Civic Music Association depends on dedicated volunteers to make these concerts part of what we all love about Green Bay.
We have numerous opportunities to match your talents and interests, including advertising, history/archives, hosting artists backstage, membership campaign, publicity and marketing, ushers/greeters, talent selection, fundraising and online promotion.
We also need a new president to assume leadership beginning in June.
We need your help and invite you to contact us at office@bccivicmusic.org or (920) 338-1801.
For more information, visit our volunteer opportunities page.
Be sure to mark your calendars with these upcoming spring concert dates.
Please remember Brown County Civic Music Association in your charitable giving. Your support is essential in helping us meet our mission of presenting an annual series of affordably priced concerts performed by outstanding professional artists and ensembles from around the world. We also invite you to remember Brown County Civic Music Association in your estate planning. Brown County Civic Music Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We have been bringing world-renowned performers to Green Bay since 1927. To support BCCMA or learn more, see our Support page.
Season Listing | Program | Biography
Peter De Sotto (violin/tenor) is a remarkable talent whose chameleon-like abilities allow him to perform on the violin not only as a seasoned classical violinist but also as a dazzling gypsy virtuoso. If that is not enough, the real surprise is his fabulous tenor voice which ranges from South American, to authentic Irish folk, to the great romantic Italian songs and arias including Turandot’s “Nessun Dorma.” DeSotto has been referred to as “a credible Pavarotti stand-in” (Stereo Review). Peter has appeared in leading roles in numerous opera and theatre productions, was a member of The Toronto Symphony Orchestra for 11 years, and was voted Musician of the Year in 1999 by the Toronto Musicians Association.
Alexander Sevastian (accordion, piano, bandoneon) joined Quartetto Gelato in 2002 after receiving his Masters in Performance degree from Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow. Alex began his professional career in Moscow in 1996, performing with the Russian Radio Orchestra, which he toured with as a soloist throughout Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Italy, and Japan. Alex has won four International Accordion Competitions including the Oslofjord in Norway (1998), The Cup of the North in Russia (2000), the Anthony Galla-Rini Accordion Competition in the U.S.A. (2001) and The Coupe Mondiale in the U.S.A. (2007). Recent solo engagements include recitals in Mexico, Italy, Portugal, Serbia, U.S.A. and Canada as well as appearances with several symphony orchestras. Alex lives in Toronto with his wife Anna and son Vladimir. In the fall of 2005 he became a Canadian Citizen.
Colin Maier (oboist) graduated from the University of Calgary in 1997 with a Bachelor’s degree in oboe performance. In 2002, he was a featured Jazz oboist at the International Double Reed Festival where he performed and conducted a jazz master class with legendary jazz bassoonist Michael Rabinowitz. Colin joined Quartetto Gelato in 2009. In addition to oboe, Colin plays clarinet, English horn, violin, 5-string banjo, acoustic/electric bass, piano, saxophone, flute, guitar, mandolin and musical saw. He has yet to master the kitchen sink despite years of training! Colin has also worked for over 20 years as a dancer, actor, stuntman, singer, choreographer, acrobat and martial-artist. His two solo albums, “Advice From a Misguided Man” in 2012 and “The Fabulist – Oboe and Other Things” in 2014 have been heard on radio stations in 17 countries and received fantastic reviews from Wholenote, Fanfare and American Record Guide.
Greg Gallagher (cellist) made his professional debut as a soloist with the New Brunswick Symphony in 2005. He studied to receive his BMus in Performance from Western University in London. Greg won 1st place in the Concerto Competition at Western and was previously awarded 1st prize in the string division at the National Music Festival of Canada. More recently, Greg received his Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School of Music where he studied under Paul Widner and led the cello section of the Royal Conservatory Orchestra. Greg is now working as a teacher for the Sistema Toronto music program as well as freelancing as a professional cellist in Toronto.
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