ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – St. Mary’s College of MD Musician-in-Residence Brian Ganz will return to the Main Concert Hall of the Dodge Performing Arts Center on Monday, January 27 at 7 pm with a free program of rarely heard works of Fryderyk Chopin. The program will be a preview of the 14th concert of his “Extreme Chopin” project, to take place on February 28 at the Music Center at Strathmore. For that concert and the preview at St. Mary’s College of MD he will be joined by superb pianist Alon Goldstein in two little known works for two pianists. He will also be joined by the Acting Principal Flutist of the National Philharmonic, Julietta Curenton, in Chopin’s only work for flute and piano. The free program at the college will also include Chopin’s rarely heard Sonata No. 1 in C minor and four beloved mazurkas. For more information call (240) 895-4498 or visit bit.ly/40nEVnn

Ganzbegan his questto perform all of Frédéric Chopin’s works in 2011. That recital marked the start of his ambitious endeavor to perform the approximately 240 works of Chopin by 2026. “Chopin’s music is the language of my soul, and I have dreamed since childhood of someday performing all of his works,” said Ganz, who is widely regarded as one of the leading pianists of his generation. He is expected to be the first to perform every piece of music Chopin ever wrote.

“I am thrilled to be joined by Alon and Julietta in Chopin gems that so few listeners ever get to hear,” pianist Ganz said. “The Variations for one piano 4 hands on a theme by Thomas Moore are absolutely scintillating, the Rondo for two pianos is not only sparklingly virtuosic but also full of Chopin’s celebrated lyricism. And the Rossini variations for flute and piano are delightful and charming. I am honored to introduce the St. Mary’s College music loving community to these wonderful musicians and these rarely heard works.” 

 Rounding out the program will be a short, deeply beautiful variation on a theme from Vincenzo Bellini’s opera I Puritani. Chopin’s friend and fellow pianist-composer Franz Liszt invited several luminaries of the day to contribute a variation on the theme “Suoni la Tromba” from the opera. Most of the contributions were full of pianistic fireworks and pyrotechnics. Chopin’s was characteristically understated in its depth and lyricism. 

Ganz has appeared as soloist with such orchestras as the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the National Philharmonic, the Baltimore and the National Symphonies, the City of London Sinfonia, and L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo. He has performed in many of the world’s major concert halls and has played under the baton of such conductors as Leonard Slatkin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Pinchas Zukerman, Jerzy Semkow and Yoel Levi.  A critic for La Libre Belgique wrote of Ganz’s work: “We don’t have the words to speak of this fabulous musician who lives music with a generous urgency and brings his public into a state of intense joy.” 

Alon Goldstein’s artistic vision and innovative programming have made him a favorite with audiences and critics internationally. He made his orchestral debut at the age of 18 with the Israel Philharmonic under the baton of Zubin Mehta. He has since played with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago, San Francisco, Baltimore, St. Louis, Dallas, Houston, Vancouver, and Kansas City Symphonies, as well as the London Philharmonic, Philharmonic Radio France, Orchestra National d’Île de France, Beijing Symphony among others. His festival appearances include Gilmore, Santa Fe, Tanglewood, Verbier, and Marlboro, and he has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Kremlin. Alon is the founder and Artistic Director for The Emerald Coast Music Alliance – an organization dedicated to bringing classical music to population that have less access and means. He is also artistic director of The Distinguished Artists Concert & Lecture Series in Santa Cruz, CA, the Mt. Angel Abbey Bach Festival in Oregon, and the Lieven international piano foundation in Vienna. He is the first Peabody alumni to receive the “society of scholars” award from the John Hopkins university,  where he studied under the legendary musician Leon Fleisher. 

 Dr. Julietta Curenton has established herself as a leading flute soloist, chamber and orchestral player, professor and clinician.  Known for her “bold and dramatically characterized playing” (Dallas Morning News), “great artistic sense” and “tone that draws in one’s ear with sounds and ideas that simply cannot be resisted,” (Philadelphia Inquirer).She won Premiere Prix at the Journées de les Harpes Competition in Arles, France and first prize at the National Flute Association young artist competition and Astral Artists’ national auditions. Awards won have led to several solo guest appearances with The National Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, The Kennedy Center Institute Orchestra, Temple University Orchestra, Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra and others. Curenton is currently the acting principal flautist of the National Philharmonic, ensemble-in-residence at Strathmore Hall in Bethesda, Maryland. She is the Assistant Professor of Flute at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia.