Mississippi University for Women’s Department of Music presents “Journey for Two” Monday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m., in Kossen Auditorium, Poindexter Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.
The duo piano recital will feature Julia Mortyakova, associate professor and chair of the Department of Music, and Valentin Bogdan, associate professor of music.
“We titled the concert ‘Journey for Two’ because it literally takes the public on a voyage throughout multiple musical eras and countries, from the U.S. across Europe. There is no doubt that our audiences will be able to relate to these works, the music will speak to them. Whether it’s a work they might have heard in the past, or some new music they might have not yet found, they will discover something to love,” described Bogdan about the concert.
The program will consist of an eclectic mix of works written for the two piano medium, including the famous “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin, featuring a unique combination of classical music and jazz; the “Concerto for Two Pianos” by Francis Poulenc, a blend of charming French melodies and musical humor; and the virtuosic “Concertstuck” by Cecile Chaminade.
Other compositions will feature contemporary Russian women composers: Tatiana Chudova, Rushaniya Nizamutdinova and Lilia Rodionova. The program has been presented by the duo around the U.S. and will be performed as part of their European tour this summer in Russia, Romania and Italy.
“We hope that both The W and Columbus community will join us on Monday evening,” said Bogdan. “This is a really interesting program — challenging to perform, but extremely satisfying for an audience to listen to,” said Bogdan.
Mortyakova and Bogdan have been performing as a piano duo since 2007. Winners of the Second Prize at Ellis Duo Piano Competition, they have performed nationally and internationally at prestigious concert venues and festivals. They were the featured performers at the 2015 Mississippi Federation of Music Clubs State Conference, and were featured during the 2016 National Association of Composers USA National Conference in Knoxville Tennessee, the 2015 Mississippi Music Teachers Association State Conference and at many regional conferences hosted by the College Music Society throughout the U.S.
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