Park International Center For Music Announces 2023-2024 Season

Park University International Center for Music (Park ICM), under the direction of founder, Van Cliburn Gold Medalist Stanislav Ioudenitch, has for the last 20 years taken magnificent young instrumentalists, already identified as superior performers, and molded them into international virtuosos. Based upon the European master/apprentice relationship, this rare combination of time, talent, attention, location, and commitment has made Park ICM triumphant in a very short time, demanding the attention of the international music community. Having just completed the celebration of the Center's 20th Anniversary, the next season brings virtuoso friends old and new, and continues to showcase ICM's own award-winning faculty and students, resulting in a season packed with musicianship of the highest order.

“For the past two decades our Center has served as a haven for young prodigies,” said Ioudenitch, “providing them with an environment that fosters artistic exploration, creativity, and personal growth. We have witnessed the emergence of extraordinary talents who have graced the world's most prestigious concert halls, garnered accolades, and touched countless hearts through their mesmerizing performances.” 

Thanks to generosity of Park University and Park ICM's donors, Park ICM concert tickets continue to be inexpensive or free. “We're an educational institution,” said Lisa Hickok, Park ICM Executive Director, “which means it is our top priority to give our students the best possible performance opportunities whether in an orchestra, solo or in chamber groups. Furthermore, it is our mission to remove as many barriers as possible so that our audiences can be reflective of all those who are interested. Music must be shared so that everyone, no matter their ability to pay, may experience world-class classical music right here in Kansas City. And thanks to our very generous donors, we're able to provide unbelievable performances at extremely accessible prices.”

Throughout the 2023- 2024 Season, Park ICM will have 13 offerings at venues throughout the metro including The 1900 Building in Mission Woods, Kansas; The Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel at Park University, in Parkville, Missouri; and The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Park ICM 2023 – 2024 Season

 

 

Mikhail Voskresensky, Piano

Sept. 22, 2023, 7:30 p.m. | 1900 Building

1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Mission Woods, KS 66205

To kick off its 21st Season, the Center will present one of the world's most revered pianists whose story captured the hearts of music lovers all over the world last year. Born in Berndiansk, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Mikhail Voskresensky is a Russian pianist and pedagogue who left Russia for the United States in 2022 to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Trained under the legendary Lev Oborin, winner of the First International Chopin Piano Competition, Voskresensky rose to prominence, dazzling audiences worldwide. In the 1960s, the USSR sought to showcase his talent in demonstration of the artistic might of the USSR. However, when Voskresensky refused to assist the KGB during his tour, it was abruptly canceled, taking 13 long years before the state again allowed him to tour the West. In February of 2022, just before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Voskresensky played a concert in the glittery Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory where he chaired the Piano Program. It was a poignant concert as he received a warm response from Yoheved Kaplinsky, a professor at Juilliard, who offered him a way to escape to the United States through an invitation to teach master classes at the Aspen Music Festival. After months of navigating vaccine hurdles, visa constraints, and slow-moving bureaucracies, Voskresensky and his family arrived safely in the United States. 

Hailed as a maestro of the great Romantic tradition, Maestro Voskresensky's story is a testament to the indomitable spirt of artistic freedom. Park International Center for Music is so pleased to bring him to Kansas City. His program will include:

1. The Seasons, Op. 37 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

2. Petite Suite by Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)

3. The Lark by Glinka-Balakirev (1837-1910)

4. Fairy tales of the Old Grandmother op.31 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)

5. Sonata No. 5 op. 53 by Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915)

Park ICM Orchestra Fall Concert

Oct. 6, 2023, 7:30 p.m.| Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel, Park University

8500 NW River Park Dr., Parkville, MO  64152

The International Center for Music Orchestra will present its first concert of the 2023-2024 season on Friday, October 6th at 7:30 PM. The program will be under the direction of guest conductor David Amado, music director of the Florida Classical Orchestra, and who will be making his return engagement with the ICM Orchestra. Maestro Amado has selected works for string orchestra of Hugo Wolf, Ottorino Respighi, and Peter Tchaikovsky to open this 7th year of concerts by the orchestra.

https://www.davidamado.com/

Park ICM String Studios

October 28, 2023, 7:30 p.m. | 1900 Building

1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Mission Woods, KS 66205

Park ICM's concert season will then continue with an award-winning roster of string musicians in the studios of violinist Ben Sayevich, cellist Daniel Veis and violist Peter Chun. Program and performers to be determined. 

https://icm.park.edu/faculty/

Stanislav Ioudenitch Piano Studio Recital

Nov. 30, 2023, 7:30 p.m. | 1900 Building

1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Mission, KS 66205

An evening devoted to piano lovers; this concert features the entire studio of Van Cliburn Gold Medalist Stanislav Ioudenitch. "Musicians need to have the practical training of performing,” said Ioudenitch. “That's what we're trained to do, to perform in public. These young artists in my piano studio are already successful musicians. They are award winning instrumentalists, so something not to miss." Program TBD.

Stanislav Ioudenitch has garnered notable successes in music competitions including the gold medal at the XI Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2001. The Van Cliburn Competition launched a career that has taken Ioudenitch around the world for appearances with major orchestras in many of the world's important musical venues. In addition to concert performances, Ioudenitch has held a lifelong passion for teaching. He is the founder of the International Center for Music at Park University (Kansas City) where he is Artistic Director and master teacher of piano. In addition, he is the director of the Young Artists Music Academy (Kansas City) and vice-president of the Piano Academy at Lake Como, Italy. Ioudenitch is continually invited to teach masterclasses around the world.

https://icm.park.edu/faculty/stanislav-loudenitch/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag0bTwldnJI

An Intimate Christmas with Park ICM Orchestra

Dr. Steven McDonald, Conductor

Dec. 2, 2023, 7:30 p.m. | Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel, Park University

8500 NW River Park Dr., Parkville, MO  64152

After a sellout showing at its first-ever holiday concert last season, the International Center for Music Orchestra at Park University will perform its second annual holiday offering, “An Intimate Christmas with the ICM,” under the direction of Dr. Steven McDonald, ICM Orchestra music director. The program will once again offer a variety of Christmas pieces both familiar and less well-known and serve as an elegant companion and contrast to the music presented by other fine ensembles in the Kansas City area. Performed in coordination with the Main Street Parkville Association's Christmas on the River. 

https://icm.park.edu/faculty/steven-mcdonald/

Rosamunde Trio

Jan. 25, 2024, 7:30 p.m. | 1900 Building

1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Mission Woods, KS 66205

The Rosamunde Trio was formed in 2002 by three international soloists: Martino Tirimo, piano; Ben Sayevich, violin; and Daniel Veis, cello. They have been performing together since and are pleased to present the “Trio No. 1 in G minor for Piano, Violin and Cello, Op. 15,” by Bedrich Smetana. Violinist Ben Sayevich is the head of the violin studio at Park ICM and cellist Daniel Veis is head of the cello studio at Park ICM. Their friend, pianist Martino Tirimo, will also perform two works by Ludwig van Beethoven to open the concert.

https://icm.park.edu/faculty/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOzn7nCkTGk

Valentines with Park ICM Orchestra

Timothy Hankewich, Conductor

Feb. 9, 2024, 7:30 p.m. | Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel, Park University

8500 NW River Park Dr., Parkville, MO  64152

Park ICM's Valentine's Concert has become a community favorite. Produced in collaboration with the Main Street Parkville Association, the concert will be conducted by guest maestro Timothy Hankewich, music director of Orchestra Iowa, who returns for his third appearance with the ICM Orchestra. Hankewich has selected music by Bach, Boccherini, Debussy, Schubert, and Vivaldi, and the featured work will be Mozart's “Piano Concerto No. 21, K. 467.” 

https://www.hankewich.net/

Ben Sayevich, Violin & Lolita Lisovskaya- Sayevich, Piano

Feb. 29, 2024, 7:30 p.m. | 1900 Building

1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Mission Woods, KS 66205

Violinist Ben Sayevich has established himself as one of the most distinguished violinists of his generation. Sayevich also maintains a vigorous schedule as chamber musician. He is a founding member of the Park Trio, established at Park University and is violinist of the London-based Rosamunde Piano Trio. Sayevich established the string program of Park ICM in 2006. He is joined in concert by his wife, Park ICM Director of Collaborative Piano, Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich. The highlight of the evening will be the famed Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano by César Franck and other works.

https://icm.park.edu/faculty/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s4Y6qKCgFg

Shmuel Ashkenasi, Violin, with Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich, Piano

Mar. 22, 2024, 7:30 p.m. | 1900 Building

1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Mission Woods, KS 66205

One of the world's most celebrated musicians, Israeli violinist Shmuel Ashkenasi returns to Kansas City in March for a rare opportunity to see this level of talent in an intimate space of the 1900 Building's 200-seat Parkway Room. Gold medalist of three international violin competitions, Ashkenasi is also considered a pre-eminent violin instructor. Having been taught by legendary pedagogue Ilona Feher in Israel, he arrived in the United States while still young and studied with Efrem Zimbalist at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ashkenasi became a member of the Curtis Institute faculty in 2007. Ashkenasi will be in concert with Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich, Park University collaborative pianist, and their program will include Bach's “Violin Sonata in A major, MWV 1015,” Gabriel Fauré's “Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. wwww13,” and other works.

https://www.curtis.edu/person/shmuel-ashkenasi/

https://icm.park.edu/faculty/lolita-lisovskaya-sayevich/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e47d2SI71gs

Stanislav & Friends 2024

March 8, 2024, 7:00 p.m. | Helzberg Hall in The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

1601 Broadway, Kansas City, MO  64108

For the fifth year, Park University's signature event will be presented at the Kauffman Center and will feature Park ICM's biggest stars including Kenny Broberg, Behzod Abduraimov, Igor Khukhua, Ben Sayevich, Daniel Veis, Maria Ioudenitch, and of course the event's namesake, Stanislav Ioudenitch. 

The evening will culminate with two piano virtuosos, Stanislav Ioudenitch and Behzod Abduraimov, who will come together to perform Francis Poulenc's captivating “Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra” with the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra. Then meet the artists at a dessert reception immediately following the performance.

Patron tickets will be available at https://icm.park.edu/ after October 31, 2023. 

Single Tickets will be available after December 1, 2023, at https://www.kauffmancenter.org/ or by calling 816-994-7222. 

Questions will be answered by calling 816-584-6484.

Spring With Park ICM Orchestra

Laura Jackson, Conductor

March 31, 2023, 7:30 p.m. | Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel, Park University

8500 NW River Park Dr., Parkville, MO  64152

The spring 2024 orchestra program will be under the direction of guest conductor Laura Jackson, music director and conductor of the Reno Philharmonic Association, who is making her return engagement with the ICM Orchestra. Jackson has selected a program of works for string orchestra featuring music of Sir Edward Elgar, Patrick Harlin, and Franz Schubert. 

http://www.laurajackson.net/

https://youtu.be/kxT2h7z7e88

Behzod Abduraimov, Piano, Daniel Lozakovich, Violin

April 14, 2024, 7:30 p.m. | 1900 Building

1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Mission Woods, KS 66205

The Los Angeles Times has reported, “Uzbekistani pianist Behzod Abduraimov is fast becoming one of the finest musicians of his generation.” The 33-year-old Park ICM alum will be joined in concert by 22-year-old violinist Daniel Lozakovich. “Daniel is one of the greatest stars of the young generation,” Ioudenitch said. “He's an unbelievable violinist with a major career right now. Very hot.” Together they will perform works by Beethoven, Franck and the “Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano in A minor, Op. 105,” by Schumann. 

http://59productions.co.uk/project/behzod-abduraimov/

https://www.harrisonparrott.com/artists/behzod-abduraimov 

http://lozakovich.com/

Park ICM Orchestra's Season Finale

Barbara Yahr, Conductor

April 19, 2024, 7:30 p.m. | Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel, Park University

8500 NW River Park Dr., Parkville, MO  64152

The International Center for Music's season will conclude with this fantastic orchestral program under the direction of guest conductor Barbara Yahr, now in her 20th year as music director of the Greenwich Village Orchestra of New York. Yahr, who is making her first appearance with the ICM Orchestra, has selected a program of works by Jan Sibelius, Karl Stamitz and Felix Mendelssohn. 

https://www.gvo.org/bio/barbara-yahr/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUBl92QNrGYxpI9LWc_F9Xw