IN HONORABLE COMPANY: Rachmaninoff & Weinberg at Faneuil Hall

NB: The streaming premiere of this concert took place on November 22nd. If you would like to watch the concert on demand, please register using one of the ticket/donation options and we will send you the link.

Inaugural performance in a series of virtual concerts to be recorded at the fourth flour Armory of Faneuil Hall, with top-notch Boston-area musicians performing a diverse classical and jazz repertoire in this unique and historic setting. This particular concert program features compositions by two late Romantic composers—Sergei Rachmaninoff and Alexander Krein—as well as the Polish-Soviet composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg, whose centenary is being celebrated this year.

A generous gift to Ballets Russes Arts Initiative of a 1926 Steinway baby grand piano by Bliss I. Rand, MD was the catalyst behind this collaboration between BRAI and the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. In February 2020, BRAI’s 1926 Steinway baby grand piano was moved to the Armory to enable live concerts to be held by both organizations. The virtual format is currently a new necessity, but it also offers the opportunity to bring in a wider audience to the performances and the Armory itself, at a time when it is closed to the public.

Alexander KREIN (1883-1951) Selections from Sketches of Youth, op. 2 (1902)

Poem-fantasy from Four Pieces, op. 7

Mieczyslaw WEINBERG (1919-1996) Piano Sonata No. 4 in B Minor, op.56 (1955)

Sergey RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943) Preludes op. 23, No. 2,4,5,6 (1901-1903)

The performance, recorded live in the fourth floor Armory of historic Faneuil Hall shortly before the virtual concert date, lasts an hour and will be followed (6 pm) by a virtual Q&A with Anastasia Seifetdinova on Zoom, moderated by BRAI Executive Director, Anna Winestein, where you can ask questions and converse with the pianist as well as other listeners. Links to the unlisted Youtube page for the concert video as well as the Zoom Q&A will be emailed through Eventbrite to registered attendees 24 hours and 2 hours before the start time of 5 pm. The stream will remain available for some time in case you are unable to watch the streaming premiere with us on the 22nd at 5 pm EST. Registrations received after 3 pm on the 22nd will receive the links via email from BRAI shortly before start time.

Your ticket purchases and donations are shared by BRAI and the artist.

ANASTASIA SEIFETDINOVA was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, trained there at the Lysenko School of Music and at the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg, Germany. She also holds a Master’s and Doctorate from The Hartt School of the University of Hartford. Among numerous international honors, in 2006 Ms. Seifetdinova won the Puigcerda International Piano Competition in Spain and recorded the complete works for piano and orchestra by Balakirev with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra for NAXOS records.Her career has featured numerous appearances as a soloist in concertos with orchestras, chamber music concerts and solo recitals in Ukraine, Germany, Macedonia, Italy, Hungary, Switzerland, France, Russia, USA, and Japan. Centaur Records released two of Dr. Seifetdinova’s solo albums in 2016 and 2018, both recorded at The Hartt School. Recent highlights included a recital at Carnegie Hall, as well as other appearances in recitals in Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Germany. In 2013, Ms. Seifetdinova was granted permanent US residence through the Extraordinary Abilities in the Arts program, given only to artists who attained the highest level in their field. Dr. Seifetdinova is currently a freelance pianist at the New England Conservatory, and Adjunct Faculty at The Hartt School.

BALLETS RUSSES ARTS INITIATIVE is a Boston-based non-profit cultural organization that fosters international creative exchange in the visual and performing arts and film, and connects communities in the US and Eurasia. BRAI carries out public programs throughout Massachusetts, the East Coast and internationally, and BR360 Member programs in the Boston area. www.ballets-russes.com

THE ANCIENT AND HONORABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY is a patriotic service organization preserving historic and civic traditions of Boston, Massachusetts, and the United States. The oldest chartered military organization in the western hemisphere, the Ancients have had their headquarters and Museum on the fourth floor of historic Faneuil Hall since 1742. Historically, members of this Company have served in every Massachusetts colonial war and national conflict since the company's founding in 1638. Today they participate in national holiday celebrations, add a measure of pomp and pageantry to the great events of our city and the Commonwealth and turn out for special commemorations. www.ahac.us.com