MASTERS MEET RISING STARS AT SINFONIA TORONTO CONCERT

Sinfonia Toronto’s next concert on Saturday February 28, 8 pm at George Weston Recital Hall will feature brilliant New York pianist Kariné Poghosyan and some of Toronto’s finest young artists, winners of the North York Music Festival. Soprano Kimberly-Rose Pefhany and violinists Julia Mirzoev and Lynn Sue-A-Quan will join Conductor Nurhan Arman and Sinfonia Toronto in a concert titled ‘Masters Meet Rising Stars’.

The colourful program features the Toronto premiere of Alan Hovhannes’ Piano Concerto Lousadzak to be performed by Kariné Poghosyan. Also on the program are some violin fireworks like Sarasate’s Gypsy Airs and Saint-Saens Introduction and Rondo Cappricioso. Soprano Kimberly-Rose Pefhany will sing Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate and the orchestra will perform a Mozart Divertimento and Grieg’s beloved Holberg Suite.

Brilliant Armenian-American pianist Kariné Poghosyan has been described as “extraordinary” and “larger than life” pianist, whose playing goes “to the heart of the music.” NY Concert Review called her a pianist who "has that spark.” She is the winner of top prizes at numerous competitions including the Los Angeles International Liszt Piano Competition and the Arno Babajanian Piano Competition. Kariné Poghosyan has appeared as soloist with many orchestras and she teaches at the Manhattan School of Music in New York.

Now in its 16th season, Sinfonia Toronto has toured in Europe twice, receiving glowing reviews. It has released four CD’s, including a JUNO Award winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its extensive repertoire includes all the major string orchestra works of the 18th through 21st centuries, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra’s performances present outstanding international guest artists and prominent Canadian musicians.

Nurhan Arman has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the United States, returning regularly to many orchestras in Europe. Among the orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d’Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Milano Classica and Belgrade Philharmonic. During the 2014-15 season he will conduct in Italy, Austria, Poland and Mexico.

Tickets for the February 28 concert are $49 adult; $39 senior and $19 student. They can be purchased by phone at 1-855-985-2787 or online http://www.sinfoniatoronto.com

Details at a glance:

MASTERS MEET RISING STARS

Saturday, February 28, 2015 Toronto Centre for the Arts

KARINÉ POGHOSYAN Pianist

LYNN SUE-A-QUAN Violinist

KIMBERLY-ROSE PEFHANY Soprano

JULIA MIRZOEV Violinist

“Extraordinary” New York pianist Kariné Poghosyan makes

her Canadian debut and Toronto's young virtuosi

share the stage with master musicians.

GRIEG Holberg Suite

SAINT-SAENS Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso

MOZART Exsultate Jubilate

SARASATE Zigeunerweisen

HOVHANESS Piano Concerto 'Lousadzak' Toronto premiere

MOZART Divertimento K 138

Tickets $49 adult; $39 senior; $19 student

1-855-985-2787 or http://www.sinfoniatoronto.com