Harris Center Announces Jeffrey Siegel's Final Keyboard Conversation Of The Season

Hailed as "an artist who means every note he plays" (New York Times), internationally acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Siegel brings power and passion to his celebrated Keyboard Conversations -returning to Folsom for his seventh season. He has been called "The Leonard Bernstein of the piano" (Chicago Tribune).

For his final performance of the 2017-18 season, Mr. Siegel will explore "The Romantic Connection-Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt" on May 2. The three composers were born within 18 months of each other; the program will include Chopin's stirring Polonaise Fantasy, Schumann's fanciful Novelettes, and Liszt's Benediction to God in Solitude and 13th Rhapsody. The two and a half hour concert with commentary will include an intermission and an insightful Q&A.

Mr. Siegel's 2018-19 series of Keyboard Conversations will be announced at the May 2 concert.

"Jeffrey Siegel has everything: massive technique, musical sensitivity and character, wide tonal resources, immense reserves of power, and the ability to communicate" ([JC1] Los Angeles Times).

In presenting these "concerts with lively commentary," Mr. Siegel offers comments on the work, the composer, even the times in which the work was composed and then gives a virtuosic performance of a piano masterpiece. His presentations enrich the listening experience for the avid music lover as well as provide an inviting, instantly accessible introduction to great music for those new to classical music. "Siegel's programs strengthen the fragile bonds of communication between composer and listener and are as welcome as they are rare" (Chicago Tribune).

Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel returns to Stage One with "The Romantic Connection-Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt" on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at 7 pm. Tickets $18-$38, Students with ID $6.50. They are available online at www.harriscenter.net or from the Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from noon to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Parking is included in the price of the ticket; parking permits are issued at the time of ticket purchase.. The Harris Center is located on the west side of the Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

American pianist Jeffrey Siegel has been soloist with the world's great orchestras. Abroad, these include the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony, Philharmonic and Philharmonia, Moscow State Symphony, Munich's Bayerischer Rundfunk, the Amsterdam, Oslo and Stockholm Philharmonic, Orchestra of La Scala and NHK Symphony of Japan. In the United States, engagements include the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Siegel has collaborated with many of the pre-eminent conductors of our time: Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez, Charles Dutoit, Neeme Järvi, James Levine, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Leonard Slatkin, Michael Tilson Thomas, and David Zinman, as well as legendary maestros of the past, including Eugene Ormandy, Sir George Solti, William Steinberg, Klaus Tennstedt and Yevgeny Svetlanov.

Mr. Siegel's ongoing series of Keyboard Conversations flourish in numerous American cities, among them New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Phoenix, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Dallas, Denver and Washington, D.C. Some of these venues have been presenting Keyboard Conversations for more than forty years-resounding testimony to Jeffrey Siegel's superb artistry, innovative format, and loyal fans. New listeners discover an informal, entertaining and immensely accessible introduction to the magnificent piano repertoire. Seasoned music lovers enjoy a deeply enriched, more focused listening experience.

This Year Marks Seven Seasons of Great Shows. Up Close. In Folsom!

The Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College brings the community together to share in cultural experiences featuring the work of artists from throughout the region and around the world. Built and operated by the Los Rios Community College District, the $50 million, state-of-the-art regional performing arts center boasts three intimate venues with outstanding acoustics, an art gallery, a recording studio, elegant teaching spaces, plenty of safe parking and all the other amenities of a world-class performing arts venue. Each year the Center hosts approximately 400 events attracting upwards of 150,000 annually.

Tickets are available online at www.HarrisCenter.net or from the Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from noon to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time.