Published: January 14, 2016
UT Faculty Piano Duo to Perform Works by Rachmaninov Jan. 22
On Friday, Jan. 22, The University of Tampa’s Grigorios Zamparas and guest pianist Beth Waligorski will team up for a piano duo performance of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Suite No. 2. The concert, which is free and open to the public, starts at 7:30 p.m. in Plant Hall’s Grand Salon.
According to Zamparas, these two works by Rachmaninoff were composed between 1900 and 1901, when he was still living in Russia.
“During this time Rachmaninoff was suffering from severe depression after having received negative reviews for his first symphony,” explained Zamparas. “In a way, his piano concerto is his recovery from all that.”
Zamparas said he paired these two works on the program because the piano writing is very similar.
In addition to serving as an associate professor of music and director of piano studies at UT, Zamparas is an active concert pianist and performs both as a soloist and in chamber music ensembles. He has given master classes around the world.
Waligorski has been an accompanist for almost 49 years — 31 of those with The University of Tampa music and theatre departments. Waligorski was a recipient of a 2009 Individual Artist Grant from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County. She serves as treasurer and board member of the Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and is the organist at First Presbyterian Church of Tampa.
For more information, contact Zamparas at gzamparas@ut.edu or (813) 257-3376.
