Park University International Center for Music Presents 6th Annual Stanislav & Friends Concert on March 1

Park University International Center for Music Presents 6th Annual Stanislav & Friends Concert on March 1

January 15, 2025 - Stanislav & Friends, an annual gala of classical music that showcases an all-star lineup of faculty, students, alumni and friends of the Park University International Center for Music, will be held on Saturday, March 1, starting at 7 p.m. inside Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, Mo.

The Park ICM's signature event, this year's Stanislav & Friends will highlight the "Echoes of Spain," immersing the audience in an evening of passion and talent as the rich tapestry of Spanish melodies and rhythms are showcased.

"The entire concert follows the "Echoes of Spain" theme, featuring works inspired by Spanish themes across different composers and time periods," said the concert's namesake, pianist Stanislav Ioudenitch. "Each piece highlights the influence of Spanish melodies, rhythms and atmosphere in classical music, making this program a celebration of Spain's rich musical legacy."

Ioudenitch, Park ICM artistic director and gold medalist of the 11th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2001 - who is widely regarded for his strong individuality and musical conviction - will open the concert with a performance of "Spanish Rhapsody," composed by Franz Liszt. Ioudenitch will also be a part of the concert's conclusion, Maurice Ravel's "Rapsodie Espagnole for Two Pianos." While Ioudenitch will play one piano throughout all four movements of the piece, four other extraordinary pianists in their own right will join Ioudenitch, rotating on the second piano to play one movement each.

Joining Ioudenitch on "Rapsodie Espagnole" will be two of his protégés - Behzod Abduraimov, Park ICM artist-in-residence and winner of the 2009 London International Piano Competition, and Ilya Shmukler, Park ICM graduate student and winner of the 2024 Concours Géza Anda Piano Competition - as well as renowned Spanish classical pianist Luis Fernando Pérezand Ioudenitch's wife, Tatiana Ioudenitch who own the Young Artists Music Academy is Westwood Hills, Kan. The piece will also include two percussionists, Kevin Clarke and Mark Lowry.

Pérez will also perform "Triana" from book two of "Iberia," composed by Isaac Albéniz, and "El Sombreo de Tres Picos" ("The Three-Cornered Hat"), arranged for piano and composed by Manuel de Falla.

Other pieces scheduled to be performed:
• "Suite Populaire Espagnole," composed by de Falla, performed by cellist Nikita Korzhukhin, graduate student, and violinist Mumin Turgunov, senior music performance/violin major.
• "Boléro" (arranged for four pianos), composed by Maurice Ravel, performed by pianists Yangrui Cai, Tatiana Dorokhova and Ali Mammadov, graduate students, and Jiarui Cheng, freshman music performance/piano major
• "Trio No. 2, Op. 76," composed by Joaquin Turina, performed by the ICM's esteemed resident ensemble, the Park Trio: violinist Ben Sayevich, cellist Daniel Veis and pianist Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich

Serving as honorary chairs for the 2025 Stanislav & Friends event are Scott and Robin Boswell, prominent leaders and passionate advocates for the arts, education and community engagement in the Kansas City region.

Six levels of sponsorship are available for this year's gala, ranging from $1,500 to $30,000. Each of the levels include seats for the concert, a pre-concert cocktail reception and invitations to an exclusive benefactor party.

Individual tickets for the concert range from $43 to $108 (fees included) per seat and can be purchased through the Kauffman Center's box office or at https://tickets.kauffmancenter.org/23325.

For more information about the concert, visit icm.park.edu/stanislav-friends-2025.

* * * * *

The next concert in the International Center for Music's 2024-25 seasonwill be a performance by violinist David Radzynski and pianist Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich on Friday, March 14, starting at 7:30 p.m. at the 1900 Building in Mission Woods, Kan. Radzynski, who earned a graduate certificate in music performance/violin from Park University in 2014, is a former concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Lisovskaya-Sayevich serves as the ICM's director of collaborative piano. For more information about this concert and a link to tickets, visit icm.park.edu/park-icm-presents-david-radzynski-and-lolita-lisovskaya-sayevich.