Konstantin Soukhovetski & Milana Strezeva perform Fragment in Naples, Florida.
Program
Where Dreams Reside
In Petite Suite, Debussy creates a magical world that sparks children’s imaginations with seemingly mundane activities, each one belonging to a heightened reality, like a dream. Ravel’s Basque heritage takes center stage in the beguiling Rapsodie Espagnole, featuring the beloved rhythm of the Habanera. The ethereal Fragment by Psathas quotes the second movement of his View from Olympus, where myth, music, and memory are forever intertwined.
Debussy: Petite suite L 71b, for piano duet
Psathas: Fragment, for piano duet
Ravel: Rapsodie espagnole, for piano duet
Milana Strezeva is a Juilliard-trained pianist, founding member of the Manhattan Piano Trio, and co-founder of the Grand Piano Series. Milana’s experience as a stellar performer and strategic arts executive has come together at the Grand Piano Series, where she has demonstrated an innate ability to foster collaborations and contribute positively to community enrichment through music.
Under Milana’s excellent stewardship and an unwavering commitment to artists, the Grand Piano Series has grown and flourished since its founding in 2016. As President and Artistic Director of the organization, Milana has demonstrated a meticulous approach to cultivating both fiscal health and innovative growth, garnering admiration across Southwest Florida and beyond.
The Grand Piano Series is committed to presenting established artists of the highest caliber as well as exciting artists who are at the earlier stages of their careers. The Series is proud to be one of only seven institutions in the United States to own a Fazioli F308, the longest piano produced in the world.
Konstantin Soukhovetski, the 2019 Innovation Award Winner from the Music Academy of the West, is a multidisciplinary artist and educator with a flourishing international career. As the director of education and community engagement at the Grand Piano Series, he oversees educational programs in schools and after-school initiatives. Konstantin is an adjunct faculty member at The Juilliard School, his alma mater, and teaches at Pianofest in the Hamptons.
Recently, Konstantin has guest lectured at several prestigious institutions, including the Curtis Institute of Music, Northwestern University’s School of Music, the Singapore Academy of Music, and Jelgavas Mūsikas Vidusskolas in Latvia. He frequently serves on the jury for international piano competitions, including his recent role on the 2024 Cleveland International Piano Competition selection jury.
Konstantin has performed in various notable venues, touring with Absolute Classics in the UK, and participating in the Batura Festival in St. Sebastian and the Canary Islands (Spain), the PianoFête Festival in Vashon, Washington, the Odyssiad Festival in Fort Collins, Colorado, the International Composers Symposium in Del Mar, California, and ProtoStar Series in La Jolla, California, among others. His recent orchestral appearances include performances with the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra and Pegasus: The Orchestra at Lincoln Center’s Tully Hall.
Throughout his career, Konstantin has received over 17 awards from leading international piano competitions and the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. Born in Moscow to a family of visual artists, he studied at the Moscow Central Special Music School, where he double majored in piano and composition.