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• Krannert Center for the Performing Arts »
  500 S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, IL 61801
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On Thursday, Nov. 5 at Urbana's Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Vladimir Feltsman will perform his magic on the piano in a concert supplemented by our wonderful string quartet in residence, The Pacifica Quartet. Most followers of the classical music scene know The Pacifica Quartet well, as they are riding a year of awards and much praised recordings. Yet, the extraordinary keyboard skill of Vladimir Feltsman remains a mystery to many. Talent, it seems, does not buy you star quality.

There are currently nearly 45 recordings available with his contributions on them, a modest collection for a man with such a pedigree. Yet, life is not always easy — even for great talent.

Feltsman was born in Moscow on January 8, 1952 and was an acclaimed prodigy. After studies at the Soviet

Union's top conservatories, he debuted with the Moscow Philharmonic at age 11. By 1971, he had won the prestigious biennial Marguerite Long International Piano Competition in Paris, and was a major concert player in the Soviet Union. However, this was an era when artists were carefully monitored and their foreign travel heavily restricted, and Felstman resented the rigid governmental control of the arts and artists. By 1979, he had become disillusioned with Soviet ideology in general and its policy towards the arts in particular and applied for an exit visa.

In that era, the Soviet government did not care for its high profile citizens applying for exit visas, and he, like many others, was punished with having his request shelved and his career put on hold. For eight years, Vladimir Feltsman lived a life of internal exile in the Soviet Union and saw few concert dates, and no extant recordings date from this period. In 1987, he was finally granted permission to leave and a new career began. He chose the United States as his new home. On arrival, he was personally greeted by President Ronald Reagan and performed his first U. S. concert at the White House. He broadened the scope of his concert repertory, adding Bach, Beethoven and Chopin to his already acclaimed mastery of Russian music.

His first love has always been the concert hall and teaching. Perhaps, had he pushed his recording options more, he might have hit the star status of a Joshua Bell or Yo Yo Ma. But, rock star status for classical musicians is rare, and Feltsman's quiet, but brilliant career has left its mark. His debut concert at Carnegie Hall was a sensation and a great concert career soon followed. By 1995, he was a U.S. citizen, and held teaching positions in upstate New York at Mannes College and the State University of New York at New Paltz. He has much to teach, as the New York Times noted concerning a concert on April 8, 2009, "For all his unbuttoned temperament, Mr. Feltsman's performance never descended into bluster."

On Thursday, Nov. 5, we will hear that powerful subtlety with opening solo works by Bach and Chopin. Then he teams up with our award-winning Pacifica Quartet for a performance of the Brahms Piano Quintet. Another extraordinary evening made possible by our great performing arts center.

For further information on the event and ticket prices, call 333-6280, or visit Krannertcenter.com.