Music

The month of May is jam-packed with a thrilling array of musical choices, beginning with Russian piano prodigy Alexander Gavrylyuk, playing Tchaikovsky's rarely-performed Piano Concerto No. 2 (a piece that is not nearly as famous as its big brother, but just as exciting!). This Rubinstein Competition winner is without a doubt one of the top pianists of his generation, and he makes his VSO debut on this concert pair at the Orpheum and the Bell Performing Arts Centre in Surrey. Next up is another young piano genius, eighteen-year old Ran Jia, also in her VSO debut. She will be highlighted in this all-Mozart Bach & Beyond series finale at the Chan Centre, and Beltone Symphony Sundays series finale at the Orpheum.

Ingrid Fliter, the spectacular Argentine pianist and winner of the prestigious Gilmore Award, performs Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 in her VSO debut on April 18 and 20, 8pm, at the Orpheum Theatre. The VSO's Conductor Laureate and former Music Director Kazuyoshi Akiyama leads the orchestra in a concert featuring Mendelssohn's Ruy Blas: Overture and Schumann's Symphony No.1, in addition to Ms. Fliter's performance of Chopin.

Hailed as "the greatest American violinist active today" by The Boston Herald, Joshua Bell is the classical music superstar - winner of several Grammy Awards, an Emmy, an Oscar, the Avery Fisher Prize and a Pulitzer Prize. Joshua Bell performs with the VSO for one night only - Friday, April 17th, 8pm, at the Orpheum Theatre.