Award-winning Russian Pianist to Perform at UTRGV
Staff Report
EDINBURG — Award-winning Russian pianist Tatiana Dorokhova, Silver Medalist and Audience Favorite of the 2024 Gurwitz International Piano Competition, will perform at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Performing Arts Complex on Friday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. as part of the Distinguished Artist Series.
Dorokhova’s concert will showcase her technical mastery with two challenging works: Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Mily Balakirev’s Islamey. Pictures at an Exhibition brings to life 10 paintings by Mussorgsky’s friend, Viktor Hartmann, who displayed his work in St. Petersburg in 1874. The suite’s movements range from the majestic “Great Gate of Kiev” to playful depictions such as “Ballet of Unhatched Chicks” and “Children Quarreling at Play.”
Balakirev’s Islamey, often described as one of the most difficult pieces ever written for the piano, will also be performed. It has gained a reputation as a “knucklebuster” due to its technical complexity and rapid tempo.
Dorokhova, born into a family of musicians, began studying piano at the age of six. She trained at Moscow’s Central Music School and the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory under renowned pianist Alexander Mndoyants. She has garnered accolades at several prestigious international competitions in Spain, Italy, Slovakia, Germany, and New Orleans, and her repertoire spans music from the Baroque period to contemporary works.
Tickets for the UTRGV performance are $10 for the general public and $5 for students, faculty, staff, and seniors aged 65 and older. They are available online at https://utrgvarts.tiny.us/tatiana.
The concert is sponsored by UTRGV and presented in partnership with Musical Bridges Around the World, a cross-cultural organization based in San Antonio that manages the Gurwitz International Piano Competition. Musical Bridges was founded in 1998 by Russian-born pianist Anya Grokhovski and offers a wide range of music programs, including educational initiatives and concerts for seniors in residential communities.
Source: Musical Bridges Around The World