March 1, 3, Friday 5pm, Sunday 4pm
St. Paul's Church, Cardo 6
$150, $350, $450

Ron Dank, Pro Musica - concerts

Praised by the New York Times for his “vivacious playing”, Ran Dank’s intoxicating vigor, matched with intuitive interpretation and delicate precision, has audiences begging for more everywhere he performs. The Washington Post said it all in a recent review: "Dank played with ... explosive force and triumphant exultation". A classical piano phenomenon, he will perform for us two entirely different programs, including both crowd-pleasing classics and intriguing contemporary works. Returning by popular demand to San Miguel for two unforgettable concerts on Friday and Sunday, March 1st at 5 pm and March 3rd at 4:00pm at St. Paul’s Church on Calle Cardo, his awe-inspiring performances are not to be missed!

A Master’s graduate from the Julliard School, Ran Dank is Director of Piano studies at the University of Charleston, and also Artistic Director of their International Piano Series. Dank is no stranger to prestigious performances, playing both as a soloist and with many illustrious orchestras, such as the Jerusalem and Phoenix symphonies, and at festivals such as the Chopin Festival in Warsaw. Recently, Dank joined forces with fellow pianist and Pro Musica artist Adam Golka to perform in the Beethoven Sonata Marathon by WQXR. Dank performed the "Tempest" and "Moonlight" sonatas, much to the delight of his listeners.

On Friday, the program includes Brahms' Sonata in F minor, Gershwin’s Seven Virtuoso Studies interpreted by Earl Wild, and Nikolai Kapustin’s Sonata No. 2. Brahms composed the Sonata in F minor at only 20 years old, his third and last piano sonata, and arguably his greatest. Earl Wild, a famous ragtime composer, based his Virtuoso Studies on the music of his idol George Gershwin. A highly talented pianist, Wild recorded over 700 piano works and received both a Grammy Award and the Hungarian government's Liszt Medal. Kapustin's remarkable Sonata No 2 inspires visions of modern jazz's light-fingered Dave Brubeck, and of tantalizing folkloric rhythms reminiscent of Bartók’s compositions.

On Sunday, the program showcases a cornucopia of critically acclaimed pieces, ranging from classical to modern, including Liszt’s Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor and his Fantasy on Themes from The Marriage of Figaro (the latter arranged by Ferruccio Busoni and Ran Dank). The centerpiece of the program will be Schumann’s great Kreisleriana, one of the monumental masterpieces of the keyboard. We will also hear Bach's dramatic Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor for organ arranged by Liszt for piano in his homage to the Father of Music. Finally, we will hear Liszt's light hearted Fantasy on themes from Mozart's opera, The Marriage of Figaro.

Tickets for the concerts at St. Paul’s are $150, $350 and $450 pesos donation each, and are on sale at the Bookshop in the Biblioteca Pública; Solutions, Recreo 11 and through our website with no booking fee, and at the concert 45 minutes before performance time.

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