The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Pianist Ryo Yanagitani to perform Sunday
COLLINSVILLE — Ryo Yanagitani, hailed by the Washington Post as “a pianist’s pianist,” will open the Maxwell Shepherd Fund’s 2018-19 season with a concert on Sunday, Nov. 4, at 4 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Collinsville.
Yanagitani, who is artistic director and a performing artist for the Everway Concert series in Washington, D.C., has established himself as one of the most promising young performers in the classical music world. His artistic achievements include winning the gold medal at the 10th San Antonio International Piano Competition and the grand prize at the Hugo Kauder International Piano Competition.
He is a laureate of the Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition, the Dr. Luis Sigall International Piano Competition in Chile, and the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.
In addition to his solo career, Yanagitani has made concerto appearances with orchestras around the world. He is also much sought after as a chamber musician, performing in a wide-range of settings from duo sonata repertoire to chamber ensembles. He is frequently invited as both lecturer and pianist to chamber music festivals across the U.S.
Yanagitani’s numerous awards include two endowments by the Canadian Arts Council, the Arthur Foote Scholarship from the Harvard Musical Association, and a term as artistin-residence of the Maxwell Shepherd Fund.
His program on Nov. 4 will include works by Debussy, Chaminade, Morel and Chopin. As with all Shepherd Fund events, the concert is free to the public.
To learn more about the Maxwell Shepherd Fund, visit www.maxshepherdarts.com