Westmont Hosts Famed Pianist Primakov

Renowned Russian pianist Vassily Primakov, who recently released a new, two-CD album, “Chopin: 51 Mazurkas,” performs Saturday, April 25, at 3 p.m. in First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St. Tickets cost $25 for general admission; $20 seniors; $10 student and group (eight or more); and may be purchased at the door or by calling (805) 565-6040.

The concert, which is co-sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Robert Logan and the Westmont College Music Department, is a fundraiser for Westmont’s piano program.

Primakov began studying the piano with his mother when he was 8. He attended Moscow’s Central Special Music School at 11 as a pupil of Vera Gornostaeva, winning the Rachmaninoff International Young Artist Competition. When he was 17, he attended summer school at the Music Academy of the West before moving to New York to study at the Juilliard School with Jerome Lowenthal. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 2001 and completed a master’s in 2004.

In 2002, he won both the silver medal and the Audience Prize in the 2002 Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition. Later that year, he won first prize in the Young Concert Artists International Auditions.

Primakov was named the Classical Recording Foundation’s Young Artist of the Year in 2007. He has released more than 20 CDs, including “Chopin: 21 Mazurkas,” which was named Best of the Year by National Public Radio in 2009.

He has released numerous recordings for Bridge Records by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Chopin, Dvorak, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Philip Glass, Arlene Sierra and Poul Ruders.

Primakov and his duo partner, Natalia Lavrova, established their own record label, L.P. Classics, in 2011.