On Saturday, May 20, the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra presents Korsantia Plays the “Emperor” at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center. This will be the last NBSO performance in the Zeiterion prior to the exciting renovation project! Under the direction of Music Director Yaniv Dinur, the orchestra will perform works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Dimitri Shostakovich, and Valerie Coleman. The guest soloist for this concert is pianist Alexander Korsantia.

Dubbed “a major artist” by the Miami Herald and a “quiet maverick” by the Daily Telegraph, pianist Alexander Korsantia has been praised for the “clarity of his technique, richly varied tone and dynamic phrasing” (Baltimore Sun), and a “piano technique where difficulties simply do not exist” (Calgary Sun). Ever since winning the First Prize/Gold Medal at the Artur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition and the First Prize at the Sydney International Piano Competition, Korsantia’s career has taken him to many of the world’s major concert halls, collaborating with renowned conductors such as Christoph Eschenbach, Gianandrea Noseda, Jansug Kakhidze, Valery Gergiev, and Paavo Järvi, with such orchestras as the Chicago Symphony, Kirov Orchestra, RAI Orchestra in Turin, The City of Birmingham Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, and Israel Philharmonic.

The evening’s program features three composers who, each in their own way, call for unity and peace. American composer Valerie Coleman writes an anthem for kindness and humanity that fights injustice and racism. Alexander Korsantia returns to the NBSO to perform the majestic Fifth Piano Concerto of Beethoven – perhaps the most famous humanist composer. The NBSO concludes the 2022-2023 season with Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony, the piece that passes through pain and terror to finally reach immense joy. Using his own initials translated into musical notes, Shostakovich signifies the triumph of the individual over a terrorizing and dehumanizing regime.

Korsantia Plays the “Emperor” will take place on May 20, 7:30 p.m., at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center in downtown New Bedford. Please join Maestro Dinur and Mr. Korsantia for the pre-concert talk in the theater at 6:30 p.m. Doors to the theater will open at 6 p.m. for the talk and 7 p.m. for the concert. 

Tickets are $10-$65, with $5 student tickets (available at the box office only with student ID). Purchase tickets through the Z box office, 508-994-2900, or online at www.nbsymphony.org. Convenient concert parking is available in the Z garage for a $4 cash fee and free parking is available on the streets surrounding the theatre. 

There will also be an open rehearsal for this concert on Friday, May 19, from 3:00 to 5:30 PM at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center. Admission is free but donations will be gladly accepted at the door. Seating is general admission, enter and leave as you please. No tickets or RSVP required. Please note that this is a working rehearsal, and pieces may not be played in their entirety. A 20-minute break usually occurs sometime between 4 and 4:30 pm.

The NBSO is a professional orchestra that annually presents a concert series of classical and pops music with internationally acclaimed guest artists, as well as an outstanding chamber music series. In addition, the NBSO’s innovative and nationally recognized educational programs reach more than 8,000 students each year. The NBSO is dedicated to building a community of music in the South Coast. Visit www.nbsymphony.org today!