St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra returns to Purdue in March

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra brings its skill and mastery back to campus, led by musical director Yuri Temirkanov and conductor Nikolai Alexeev, on March 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse. This performance is presented by Purdue Convocations with support from the Jeanne Compton Endowment for Artistic Excellence and Gordon and Harriet Coppoc.

Ticket holders are invited to a pre-show visit with Nick Palmer, Lafayette Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Conductor, to discuss the evening’s program at 6:30 p.m. in Room 1130 of the Mechanical Engineering Building.

The St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra is Russia’s longest-running orchestra and a global ambassador for its rich tapestry of symphonic treasures. Originally commissioned as a private ensemble in 1882 by Alexander III, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra has flourished into a showcase for such esteemed Russian soloists as Sergei Prokofiev, a haven for fiery conductors like Richard Strauss, and the preferred performers of world premieres from such legendary composers as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Dmitri Shostakovich. After its towering debut performance here in 2013, the orchestra makes its return to Purdue.

Joining the orchestra onstage for this electrifying evening is Nikolai Lugansky, who has been among Russia’s most preeminent pianists for nearly 30 years. Lugansky is a three-time winner of Germany’s ECHO Klassik Award and, in 2013, earned a People’s Artist of Russia award. Lugansky will perform Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1, one of Brahms’ most beloved and one in which soloist and orchestra stand as equals in the music’s thematic development. The program will also feature Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, a 1937 work of stunning complexity and beauty in which the composer attempted to reconcile personal and political crises following his first denunciation.

Tickets will cost $20-$46 depending on seating area in the venue. Tickets are available at the Stewart Center box office at 765-494-3933 or 800-914-SHOW. Group tickets are also available to groups of 10 more. Visit https://purdue.edu/convocations/group-sales/ or call 765-496-1977 for more details.

Initiated in 1902, Purdue Convocations was one of the first professional performing arts presenters in the United States. Each year, Convocations offers the region 30-40 performances of widely varying genres: Broadway-style shows, theater, dance, children's theater, world music, jazz, and chamber music, along with rock, pop, country and comedy attractions. With a vision for connecting artists and audiences in artistic dialogue and for drawing in academic discourse, Purdue Convocations aims to promote frequent exposure to and familiarity with human cultural expression in a multitude of forms and media. 

Source: Abby Eddy, Purdue Convocations director of marketing, 765-494-9712, aeeddy@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Publication-quality photos are available at http://www.convocations.org/press