Slobodyanik's students to perform recital marking 100th anniversary of Horowitz's birth

MONTCLAIR, N.J. - The students of renowned concert pianist Alexander Slobodyanik will perform a recital celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz (who was born in Kyiv in 1904 and died in New York in 1989). The concert will be presented by the music department of Montclair State University (MSU), where Mr. Slobodyanik serves on the faculty. Performing will be Amanda Von Goetz, Daniel Shleyenkov and Michael Berkofsky - star pupils who have achieved major accomplishment under Mr. Slobodyanik's tutelage.

The students will perform works of Scarlatti, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky and Bizet-Horowitz. The recital will be held on Wednesday, December 17, at 8 p.m. in the recital hall of the McEachern Music Building at Montclair State University. Admission to the concert is free.

Ms. Von Goetz has been studying with Mr. Slobodyanik since age 12. She was the youngest winner, at barely, 14, of the New Jersey Symphony Young Artist Competition in 1996. She has performed with Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists and at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops Orchestra.

After being awarded a special prize (1999) in the Horowitz International Piano Competition in Kyiv, Mr. Shleyenkov came to the United States to study with Mr. Slobodyanik. This November he performed at NJPAC with the New Jersey Symphony as the winner of the 2003 NJSO Young Artists Competition.

Mr. Berkofsky has been working with Mr. Slobodyanik for the last three years in which time he has performed abroad and won several competitions, of which one led to a performance with the Toronto Symphony.

Ms. Von Goetz and Mr. Berkofsky will both graduate from Juilliard in May 2004 as well as from a special performance program at Montclair State University. Mr. Shleynekov is working towards a graduate degree at MSU.

A specially commissioned portrait of Vladimir Horowitz by Ukrainian artist Yuri Tchary from Lviv will be displayed at the concert.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, December 14, 2003, No. 50, Vol. LXXI

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