“Fantasy, Carnival and Enchantment” - concert by a celebrated pianist and Steinway Artist Sophia Agranovich at Watchung Arts Center

Internationally acclaimed pianist, recording artist, educator and Steinway Artist, Sophia Agranovich, presents a concert of passion, dazzling virtuosity, lyric beauty, and unforgettable musical storytelling.

The program opens with a Prelude by Claude Debussy. Impressionistic color washes over the senses in this selection, where sound becomes light and harmony dissolves into atmosphere.

At the heart of the concert stands the sweeping grandeur of Fantaisie in F minor by Frédéric Chopin—a work of noble melancholy and heroic defiance. At once intimate and orchestral in scope, its unfolding narrative moves from whispered introspection to blazing triumph.

Two jewels from Transcendental Études by Franz Liszt follow. The luminous Ricordanza shimmers like a half-remembered dream—ornamented, nostalgic, and heartbreakingly tender—while the volcanic Appassionata surges with tempestuous intensity, a whirlwind of blazing octaves and ferocious brilliance.

The celebration of Romantic spirit concludes in splendor of Carnaval by Robert Schumann—a masquerade of flirtation, fantasy, and fiery exuberance. In this gallery of musical characters, passion dances with wit, and intimacy collides with spectacle in a triumphant finale.

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Sophia Agranovich—an internationally acclaimed, multi–award-winning virtuoso pianist, recording artist, educator, producer and artistic director—is celebrated by Fanfare as “a bold, daring pianist in the tradition of the Golden Age Romantics… a tigress of the keyboard,” and hailed by Magazine di Arte e Cultura as “a reincarnation of Liszt in a postmodern guise.” Her performances have been praised by Audiophile for their “orison of uncommon beauty” and by American Record Guide for their “magnificent shading and superior musicianship.”

As a Steinway Artist, she has graced prestigious venues worldwide, including David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Théâtre Na Loba, Teatro di Marcello, Salle Cortot and Ehrbar Saal. Her discography of 12 albums and several singles consistently achieves rave critical acclaim, frequently appearing in the top 10 of global radio airplay charts and is broadcast at major stations. She has received more than 80 international awards, including First Place at The American Prize, Mykola Lysenko International Competition, Bergen Philharmonic Competition, UK and European International Music Competitions, Beethoven and Schubert International Competitions, and multiple Global Music Awards.

Ms. Agranovich studied on a full scholarship with the legendary Sascha Gorodnitzki and Nadia Reisenberg at the Juilliard School, where earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and also worked as a Teaching Fellow. She went on to pursue doctoral studies at Columbia University. Ms. Agranovich is listed in “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in the World”, serves as a voting member of NARAS, a GrammyU Mentor, the Artistic Director of the classical music series at the Watchung Arts Center, and the Program Chair of the Music Educators Association of New Jersey.

Visit https://sophiagranovich.com and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_Agranovich