TAMIU Steinway Series Features Acclaimed Pianist

Distinguished classical pianist Ilya Itin returns to Texas A&M International University as the featured guest performer for the TAMIU Steinway Series Thursday, Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the TAMIU Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall.

Admission is free and open to the public.

The evening’s program includes music by Franz Schubert and Sergei Rachmaninov.

The Russia-born Itin performed at TAMIU last year when he was the featured guest artist for last year’s Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra’s (LPO) season, a role he will reprise for the Sunday, Jan. 24 concert, “Anticipated Return.”

Itin began playing the piano when he was four years old and was soon chosen to enter the Sverlovsk Music School for Gifted Children in Ekatarinburg, Russia. He graduated from the Moscow Conservatory with highest honors and while he was attending the conservatory, he won second place in the Russian National Rachmaninoff Competition, his first major piano competition. Since then he’s won top honors at the Casadesus Competition and the Leeds International Piano Competition.

His recitals have sold out throughout North America and he has been a featured artist at the Golandsky Institute at Princeton University, giving master classes, teaching, and performing. His orchestral appearances included Prokofiev 3rd Piano Concerto with Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México with conductor Vladimir Verbitsky and debuts with the China National Symphony and the Bilkent Symphony in Ankarra, Turkey.

Itin resides in New York City and teaches at CUNY and the Golandsky Institute. He is also a frequent guest artist and teacher in the piano department at The Juilliard School. Itin is also a recipient of support from the Patrons of Exceptional Artists.

The TAMIU Steinway Series aims to enrich the Laredo community by offering classical piano music performed by both TAMIU piano faculty and guest pianists from around the world. Because of generous donations from private donors, TAMIU has two beautiful Steinway grand pianos in addition to 14 other Steinway products, making it only one of two universities in Texas to be named an “All Steinway School.”

This is the TAMIU Steinway Series’ fourth season.

For a calendar of upcoming arts events, visit tamiu.edu/coas/fpa/coe or call 326.ARTS (2787).

For more information on the Series, please contact Dr. Fritz Gechter, associate professor, piano, at fgechter@tamiu.edu or 326.2639.

Additional information is also available @txamiu on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu