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Nevada Opera to present piano concert at North Tahoe

Special to the Bonanza
Jonathan Levin will perform next week in Incline Village.
Courtesy photo |

If you go

What: Piano concert

When: 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 8

Where: The Village Church, 736 McCourry Blvd., Incline Village

Cost: Free

More information: 775-831-0784

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — It is often commented that music is the most universal languages. It brings together disparate people and cultures with unparalleled.

Concert pianists Jonathan Levin and Azamat Sydykov, though from different sides of the world, share similar musical goals.

Since leaving his homeland of Kyrgystan at the age of 14, Sydykov has been committed to using his art as a catalyst for positive change in the international community, striving to build global connections through music.



As a teenager, Sydykov often accompanied the President of Kyrgystan during state visits, performing in front of many heads of state, working to conserve and develop the rich musical traditions of his country and promoting classical music and western culture throughout the country, which is located in the heart of Asia.

But from 2011, he has lived and studied in America, where he was discovered by Professor Pavlina Dokovska, Chair of the piano department at Mannes College of the New School University in New York City.



Upon hearing him play, Dokovska described him as “a pianist of uncommon sensitivity, technical verve and refinement beyond his years.”

In May of 2014, Sydykov made history with his solo debut recital at Weil Hall in Carnegie Hall, the first appearance of a Kyrgyz musician at this great hall.

Similarly, Levin began his journey in music at an early age, making his orchestral debut with the Raleigh Symphony in North Carolina when he was 15.

Having since cultivated an innovative and multi-faceted musical career based out of New York City, he often returns to his hometown of Clayton, N.C., to direct the annual Clayton Piano Festival, a festival he founded in the place where his musical education began.

Through his festival, he provides outreach performances for local schools and education groups in the region, classes and opportunities for aspiring young piano students, public lectures on musical subjects easily accessible for general audiences, and unique themed concerts by guest artists from across the nation designed to appeal to diverse audiences whether they are long-time concertgoers or classical novices.

Interestingly, the two met the first time, not in New York City where they both live, but in Reno, where former Nevada Opera Director Monica Harte invited them to participate in NVO’s annual ARTown Festival offerings throughout the city.

After the success of these performances in 2013, they have returned by popular demand, sponsored in part by NVO, with ARTown concerts at Steinway Piano Gallery and community outreach concerts in Reno, Sparks, Incline Village, and as far away as San Francisco.

These concerts follow their joint mission of sharing the music of their countries with wider audiences, and they will include a mix of Russian and American favorites, plus classics based on religious subjects.

This article was submitted on behalf of Nevada Opera and the Clayton Piano Festival. Visit claytonpianofestival.org or nevadaopera.org to learn more.


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