Piatigorsky Foundation focuses on artistic excellence and public outreach

The program will feature masterpieces performed by two outstanding Piatigorsky Foundation artists:  Evan Drachman, cello and Richard Dowling, piano

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On Monday, October 19, the First United Methodist Church in Stephenville and the Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council will host The Piatigorsky Foundation concert at the church beginning at 7 p.m.

For over 25 years, The Piatigorsky Foundation’s commitment to artistic excellence and public outreach has fascinated many avid concert goers as well as curious first-timers.  It is this combination of complimentary access, flamboyant performances, and human warmth that makes Piatigorsky Foundation concerts so appealing to diverse audiences.  During its last visit, The Foundation presented a tour of 8 concerts in East Texas reaching over 920 people in Houston, Palestine, Trinity, and Stephenville.   Likewise, this year The Piatigorsky Foundation aims to reach hundreds of people across the East Texas region to increase awareness and appreciation of classical music in communities throughout the state.

2015 Piatigorsky Flyer

Cellist EVAN DRACHMAN has combined artistic talent with great personal compassion and warmth to create a distinctive musical career.  Mr. Drachman is increasingly sought-after for his solo and chamber music performances, and as Founder and Artistic Director of The Piatigorsky Foundation, he has become one of the most respected authorities on the presentation of live classical music for diverse audiences everywhere.  In 1999, Mr. Drachman recorded his first CD, A Frog He Went a Courting, with pianist Richard Dowling.  Following this success, Drachman and Dowling released two more recordings titled, Infinity in 2004 and Romance and Revelation in 2007.  Mr. Drachman has appeared regularly as soloist with orchestras, and in recitals and chamber music performances across the United States, Europe and Asia.  Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Mr. Drachman studied at the Peabody Conservatory, the New England Conservatory, and the Curtis Institute of Music.  He has spent his summers performing at music festivals in the United States and abroad.  Mr. Drachman currently lives in Maryland with his wife Joan and their two sons, Eli and Oliver.

Hailed by The New York Times as “an especially impressive fine young pianist,” RICHARD DOWLING appears regularly across the United States in solo recitals and concerts with orchestras.  Career highlights include a sold-out New York orchestral debut at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and a solo recital at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in New York.  Mr. Dowling has performed in the Far East, Australia, Africa and Europe.  Works of Chopin, Ravel, Gershwin, and ragtime figure prominently in his repertoire. He has received reviews that praise him as “a master of creating beautiful sounds with impeccable control of colors and textures,” as “a musician with something to say, the skill to say it and the magnetic power to make you want to listen,” and for giving “a superb recital that left the audience craving for more at the end.” Mr. Dowling is also a versatile recording artist with over a dozen CDs of classical, chamber, ragtime, jazz, and popular music, including three with cellist Evan Drachman.  Mr. Dowling studied at Yale University and The University of Texas, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance.

About The Piatigorsky Foundation:  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.”  The Piatigorsky Foundation is committed to carrying on Piatigorsky’s mission by evoking cultural curiosity through educational and accessible live performances.

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