Emanuel Ax is a pianist renowned for his poetic temperament, unsurpassed virtuosity and exceptionally diverse performing capacity. On Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 8 p.m., he will give his fifth Chamber Concert Series performance in Memorial Chapel.
During the show, Ax will present Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasy, Op. 61, Mazurkas, Op. 41 and 56, and Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise, Op. 22. He will also play portions of Schumann’s Fantasiestucke and Fantasy.
Born in Lvov, Poland, Ax captured public attention when he won the first Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in 1974. A year later, he went on to win the Michaels Award of Young Concert Artists, and four years after that, he clinched the coveted Avery Fisher Prize.
Ax, who studied at The Julliard School, has also been honored for his recorded releases. The second and third volumes in his cycle of Haydn’s piano sonatas received Grammy awards, as did his series of recordings with cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Ax’s special projects for the current season include performances with pianist Yefim Bronfman and a solo recital tour in North America and Europe. He will also return to several orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Toronto Symphony.
During his 2004-2005 season, Ax contributed to a BBC documentary commemorating the Holocaust. It aired on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and was awarded an International Emmy.
The musician, who lives in New York City with his wife, the pianist Yoko Nozaki, and their two children, is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
General admission tickets cost $25, though area students may attend for $10. The show is free to members of the Union community.
For more information, call (518) 388-6080. For a complete Series schedule, click here.