HHSOM faculty pianist takes center stage with Tchaikovsky recital

A familiar face at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music will go from collaborator to soloist when Anatoly Sheludyakov performs in Ramsey Concert Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 13, at 8 p.m.

Sheludyakov, resident accompanist at the School of Music and an accomplished pianist who has performed on four continents, plans to showcase a number of lesser-known works by Tchaikovsky in his solo recital.

“Piano pieces by Tchaikovsky, with the exception of ‘The Seasons’ and a few others, are rarely heard on concert stages, and I’d like to remind people about their existence,” said Sheludyakov.

The program, which Sheludyakov calls “Lyrical Pieces,” includes selections from Tchaikovsky’s opuses 9, 10, 51 and 72. Sheludyakov describes the selections as precursors to the larger works upon which Tchaikovsky would make his name.

“These musical ideas and images created initial sketches that were indirectly implemented, subsequently, into his monumental masterpieces,” said Sheludyakov.

Of course, the pieces stand on their own merits as well.

“These pieces are very inventive and diverse melodically, simple in a form, and similar to lyrical poetry sketches,” said Sheludyakov. “But at the same time, they don’t need to be translated to any other languages because of their universal language—music—which speaks directly from heart to heart.”

Admission to this performance is free and the public is invited to attend.

The Hugh Hodgson School of Music sponsors more than 350 performances each year. To view the performance calendar, subscribe to the weekly email concert listing or learn more about the School of Music, go to music.uga.edu.