Piano virtuoso Sergey Pashkevich left a lasting impression of his mastery of the classical piano when he visited Brenau University almost one year ago. Our community will have a chance to welcome him back when visiting Brenau University on November 3. His concert that Saturday evening is in support of our local charity Dare To Share and the causes it supports.

Sergey is excited about his repeat visit and the lineup of local youngsters who will start off the evening by showcasing their considerable talents. Those who come out for what promises to be an extraordinary evening will enjoy performances by local residents Katie O’Shea (Vocal), Emily Jackson (Violin), Anna & Kristiina Lugus & Brelin Zimmerman (Dance), Ashlee Lane Fincher (Vocal), Kunal Lahiry (Piano), Tiffany Milagro (Vocal), Courtney Piedrahita (Violin) and Austine Scales (Cello).

Sergey Pashkevich will perform an exciting mix of works by Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt and Rachmaninov. Vanessa Hyatt, Host of “Taste of Classics” on the eclectic 89.1 FM WBCX said it best when she stated: ‘It is a rear opportunity that an artist of the caliber of Sergey Pashkevich can be experienced on the stage here in North Georgia. Such occurrences are usually reserved for the concert halls of Europe.’

Sergey Pashkevich was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1966. There, he studied under Pavel Egorov and Vladimir Shakin at the conservatory.  He also received his masters after having completed additional studies at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam under Jan Wijn.

Following many concerts at home and abroad he arrived in Utrecht, The Netherlands in 1992, where he won the coveted Franz Liszt piano competition as well as the prize awarded by the press.

He has given numerous concerts throughout Europe and performs at least twice a year in The Netherlands at various podia, where he has become a favorite and much admired and accomplished artist and musician.

In his spectacular career he has won, among others, the third prize in Morcone, Italy in their grand international piano competition, the first prize in Wroclaw, Poland and the third prize overall as well as the first prize for best interpretation of Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

He attends and has performed in many grand festivals, such as the Spring Festival in Budapest.  He also teaches at the music school in Tambov, Russia where he participated in the Rachmaninov master classes taught by Victor Merzhanov.

This phenomenal pianist has regularly performed with large orchestras of St. Petersburg and of other European cities under famous directors Ken Ichiro Kobajashi, Jan Stulen and Edo De Waart.  Sergey is a fascinating personality, who often explains in fluent Dutch the works of the various composers he performs.

Other accomplishments include the performances of Saint Saens’ second piano concert in Wroclaw (Breslau) Poland under the conductor Golo Berg, and Beethoven’s third piano concert under conductor Rashid Skuratov in Petrosavodsk, Russia.

Sergey took part in several international piano competitions such as the Budapest competitions in 1991 and 1996 when he won the Laureate prize for his Liszt performance. He further more competed in Hamamatsu, Japan, Zurich, Switzerland, the William Kapell competition in the USA and the Rachmaninov competition in Moscow.

Dare to Share has been instrumental in supporting local charities such as Challenged Child & Friends, Dream House for Medically Fragile Children, Boys & Girls Clubs of Barrow and Jackson Counties, Autism Society-Greater Georgia Chapter, The United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation and The Smile Train. This concert will again be for the benefit of these charities.

RESERVE THE DATE –

·       When: 7:30PM November 3, 2007

·       Where:             Pearce Auditorium, Brenau University, Gainesville, GA

·       What:   “An Evening with Sergey Pashkevich”

·       Cost:    VIP - $50 (includes Reserved Seating & Reception to meet Sergey Pashkevich and Local    Artists & Silent Auction)

General Admission $35, Students $15

Tickets can be ordered by contacting Dare To Share

            Dtshare@windstrem.net or call 770-868-8319

Tickets will also be available at the door.

Dare To Share is a local charity dedicated to raising funds for primarily Georgia based charities focused on helping kids. Visit Dare To Share at www.Dare-to-Share.org for additional information on the charity and the causes it supports.