MUSIC AT EMMANUEL
Presents the opening event of our 2011-12 season:
ELENA ULYANOVA
FREE ADMISSION
MEET MS. ULYANOVA AT A POST-CONCERT RECEPTION
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
150 N. Hanover Street Pottstown, PA 29464
Facebook.com/music.at.emmanuel
Andrew Meade – Minister of Music
610-323-4312
Hailed by the Moscow Conservatory as one of its most gifted musicians, Ukrainian pianist Elena Ulyanova is described as possessing “great virtuosity, brilliant artistic temperament, unique interpretive expression and a rich sound pallet.” Roy Gillinson of the Beethoven Society of America said that Ms. Ulyanova is, “a phenomenal, gifted performer”, her style running the gamut of power, strength, and technique to a delicate, floating elegant finesse. From her early piano studies with her mother, she has gone on to be a prize winner in numerous national and international piano competitions. Ms. Ulyanova has performed throughout Europe, Asia and North America and has released two critically acclaimed CDs, the second of which features Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto #2 with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra. Her recital will feature works by Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Debussy, and Chopin. www.elena-ulyanova.com
ELENA ULYANOVA
At the age of 5, Elena Ulyanova began to study piano with her mother, Larisa Ulyanova, in Saki, Crimea. After winning several first prizes in Ukrainian and Russian competitions, she was awarded full scholarships for study in Moscow at Gnessin College of Music, Gnessin Academy of Music, and Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. While at Gnessin Academy, she won the Momontov competition, which also resulted in tours of Russia, Bulgaria, and Romania. She was also awarded a tour of Austria, along with the best students representing Gnessin Academy. Shortly after entering the Moscow Conservatory, she became a prizewinner in the second Rachmaninov International Piano Competition. After receiving the Master of Music degree from Moscow Conservatory, she pursued postgraduate study with Victor Merzhanov, while performing many concerts for the Moscow Philharmonic Concert Association (Mosconcert). Elena has also taken master classes with Emanual Krasovsky, Victor Derevianko, John O’Connor, Howard Shelley, and Leslie Howard.
Elena recorded her first solo CD in 2004, with music of Franz Liszt, and it is available from Classical Records. Shortly afterwards, she immigrated to Washington, DC. In 2005, she studied with Howard Shelley, who has recorded all of Rachmaninoff’s works, to prepare for recording of the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. The Rhapsody and Piano Concerto no. 2 are featured on her CD with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra and released in July, 2006 by Bel Air Music. Elena’s music has been heard on radio stations WFMT in Chicago, CKWR in Ontario, and WQED in Pittsburgh.
Elena has performed orchestra, chamber, and solo concerts throughout Russia, Ukraine, Great Britain, Ukraine, Austria, Korea, Netherlands, China, Poland, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, and Romania. Her performances with orchestras include the Vienna Musikverein Orchestra, the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Crimea State Symphony Orchestra in Yalta, State Russian Orchestra “Boyan”, and the Omsk Philharmonic. With the Rachmaninoff White Lilacs Festival orchestra in 2001, Elena masterfully performed the Rachmaninoff second concerto on only four hours notice! Among her appearances since immigrating to the United States, she has performed with the Scottsdale Symphony Orchestra in Arizona, American Balalaika Symphony, the Dame Myra Hess Series, the Fazioli Salon Series in Chicago, the Las Vegas Philharmonic’s Connoisseur Series, concerts in Washington DC, Orlando Florida, and New York – Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Yamaha Pianos Concert Series, and Bargemusic.
Micaele Sparacino – ConcertoNet.com – Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Landon Symphonette, February 2009
“Ms. Ulyanova’s performance of the Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini was nothing short of dazzling. She is a Lioness at the Keyboard, playing with more strength and technique than most men. In fact, her playing, marked by power and poetry, recalled to mind the legendary Gina Bachauer. It was breathtaking to watch her fingers flying over the keys, and the sound she drew from the piano was amazing.” “…a truly exciting performance distinguished by verve and panache. She is an artist not to be missed!”
Terry McNeill – Classical Sonoma – Concerts Grand Series Recital, November, 2008
“Any uncertainty about Ulyanova’s command of Rachmaninoff’s bravura was swept away with an orchestral performance of the great Sonata [no. 2], in the Horowitz edition. The finale brought out all of the pianist’s heavy artillery – massive broken octaves, endurance, wide skips and brilliant passage work. The individual parts of the sonata often seem greater than the whole, but Ulyanova brought opulent passion that conquered all.”
Fred Kirshnit- New York Sun – Bargemusic Recital, May, 2008
“…Ms. Ulyanova’s delicate performance of Claude Debussy’s “Ondine.” She wove a diaphanous web for her aquatic sprite, suggestion rather than declamation fingered lovingly. As the little concert hall rocked back and forth, Ms. Ulyanova crept into the complex harmonic world of “Brouillards (Mists)” and kept her listeners afloat and a bit enchantingly lost in the fog. This was very lovely music making.”
Piano Wereld Magazine – Amsterdam, August, 2005
“You cannot deny the panache of the Russian piano player Elena Ulyanova. She intensifies showpieces such as the Mefisto Waltz and the Tarantella from a Liszt produced in Russia, with all the restlessness of a wild breathing and rumbling volcano, which rarely slows down.”
Professor Victor Merzhanov, Moscow Conservatory – March, 2000
“Elena Ulyanova is one of the most gifted musicians of the Moscow Conservatory. She has great virtuosity, brilliant and artistic temperament, unique interpretive expression, and a rich sound palette.”
Roy Gillinson, Beethoven Society of America – November, 2006
“A phenomenal gifted performer!! Her performance for the Beethoven Society was a rare treat!
The 2011-2012 MUSIC AT EMMANUEL season is full of variety, excitement, youth, passion and above all – musical excellence. We are thrilled to present artists that range from our finest regional talent to a pianist from the other side of the world! Our season will include an organist who studied and teaches at the world famous Julliard School in New York City, an exciting young singer, one of America’s oldest musical ensembles, a choir from the renowned Westminster Choir College, and a Ukrainian pianist who was a stand-out at the Moscow Conservatory. MUSIC AT EMMANUEL is dedicated to bringing the live music of the highest calibre to the Pottstown community. We are also dedicated to supporting young artists from our region as they develop their performing careers. All concerts on our 2011-12 season are offered free of charge to the public, and are funded by the generous support of individuals in our church and community who believe that great music has an essential place in our culture and community. For additional information about the concert series please follow the music link on the church’s website: www.emmanuelpottstown.org or find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/music.at.emmanuel.
Roy's Rants - For Your Information 
It is one of life’s biggest mysteries how one person can be so talented and so cute all in one package. It’s no longer envy but pure admiration. AHHH growing old is a beautiful thing.