WVC Foundation presents The Piatigorsky Foundation Concert May 2

Media Contact: Stacey Lockhart, WVC Foundation executive director, 509.682.6415, or Kathleen LeBlanc, Piatigorsky Foundation, 212.971.5309

Katharine Dain and Jeffrey Grossman. Photos provided.

 

The Wenatchee Valley College Foundation will complete its third year of hosting Piatigorsky Foundation concerts with a concert on May 2 featuring soprano Katharine Dain and pianist Jeffrey Grossman. A reception will be held from 5 to 6 p.m.; the concert begins at 6 p.m. in The Grove Recital Hall, Music and Art Center, on the Wenatchee campus.

This event is free and open to the public. RSVP to 509.682.6410. Seating is limited to 150.

Dain has been praised by the New York Times for her "rich tone," "deep emotion," and "lovely, passionate" performances. Her opera credits include Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), and Madame Herz/Goldentrill (Der Schauspieldirektor), the heroines of Cavalli's La Calisto (title role) and Giasone (Hypsipyle), and numerous smaller roles in repertoire ranging from Purcell to the present day. She recently covered the role of Zina for Gotham Chamber Opera and the Opera Company of Philadelphia in the premiere of Nico Muhly's critically acclaimed Dark Sisters; she has also worked with Ash Lawn Opera, Opera Omnia, Capitol Opera Raleigh, Center for Contemporary Opera and the Bard Music Festival.

The 2014 season will mark several important professional European debuts: her operatic debut with the Netherlands Opera in Claude Vivier's Kopernikus (Coloratura Soprano), a co-production of the DNO Talent Development Programme and VocaalLAB; her recital debut with pianist Reinild Mees in Amsterdam's Waalse Kerk in a prize recital for the 2013 Musico Lied Competition, of which she was the grand prize winner; her debut in the Concertgebouw's Grote Zaal in John Adams Grand Pianola Music with the Asko|Schönberg Ensemble; and her oratorio debut in her first Brahms Requiem with the Zuid Nederlands Concert Koor.

Dain holds degrees from Harvard University, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Mannes College of Music. She currently lives in the Netherlands.

Jeffrey Grossman's extensive musical activities include frequent performances as a pianist, harpsichordist and conductor. Acclaimed for his musicality in every style, he has been praised as a "sensitive and fluent accompanist" of "flair and conviction" in Fanfare magazine. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he holds a bachelor of arts in music from Harvard College, a master's of music in conducting from Carnegie Mellon University, and a master's of music in historical performance from The Juilliard School.

Grossman is co-leader of the acclaimed baroque ensemble The Sebastians and also performs with numerous groups in the New York metropolitan area, including PHOENIXtail, Fire and Folly, New York Baroque Incorporated and the Bach Players of Holy Trinity. This season, he also performs as guest harpsichordist with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in Minnesota and Juilliard Baroque in New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. He can be heard in recordings on the Naxos, Albany, Métier, MSR Classics and Gothic labels.

Evan Drachman established The Piatigorsky Foundation in 1990 in honor of his grandfather Gregor Piatigorsky. Piatigorsky deeply believed in the healing and inspiration power of classical music. He once said, "Music makes life better. Music is a necessity. It is rich. It is imaginative. It is magnificent. And it is for everyone." Through his sizzling artistry and charismatic personality, Piatigorsky thus enlivened his mission by performing for millions of people around the globe. The Piatigorsky Foundation is committed to carrying on Piatigorsky's noble aspiration by evoking cultural curiosity through educational and accessible live performances.

This performance is made possible through the support of Wilfred and Kathy Woods.

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The WVC Foundation was incorporated in 1971. It exists to build relationships between the community and the college and raise financial support for Wenatchee Valley College students, programs, faculty and staff, as well as special projects such as building campaigns like the Music and Art Center. For information on how to make a gift to the foundation, establish a scholarship or include the WVC Foundation in your estate plans, contact Stacey Lockhart, executive director at 509.682.6410 or slockhart@wvc.edu. Visit the WVC Foundation website at www.wvc.edu/foundation.