Image: Natasha Kislenko and Chavdar Parashkevov
The Santa Barbara Music Club will open its 2023-2024 concert season on Saturday, October 7, 3 PM, at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 4575 Auhay Dr, Santa Barbara. Admission is free.
Violinist Chavdar Parashkevov and pianist Natasha Kislenko will perform a program of Eastern European composers from La Belle Époque, a period of European history usually considered to have begun around 1871 and to have ended with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It was characterized by optimism, economic prosperity, and technological and scientific progress in both Europe and the United States. The unique program is compiled of lesser known works for violin and piano by composers such as Enesco, Dohnanyi, Suk, and Rachmaninoff.
The acclaimed duo Parashkevov – Kislenko was established in 2009. Since then they have toured extensively with concerts in Germany, Russia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and USA, in addition to live radio broadcasts (Sofia, Bulgaria and Houston, TX) and a televised recital (Sofia). They have released two studio albums: Russian Sonatas, and Beethoven.Brahms.Mahler.
Program Details
Chavdar Parashkevov, violin
Natasha Kislenko, piano
(1881-1955)
(1873-1943)
- Romance
- Dance hongroise
- Prelude in C-sharp minor
- Elegy
- Polichinelle
(1874-1935)
arr. Jaroslav Kocián
(1908-2000)
- Ballade
- Tongue Twister
- Maiden’s Sorrow
- Rebec Song
(1917-2006)
(1899-1978)
- Chant
- Rachenitsa
The Performers
Natasha Kislenko, pianist, was born in Moscow, holds graduate degrees from the Moscow Tschaikowsky Conservatory and Southern Methodist University (TX), and earned her DMA Degree from Stony Brook University (NY). She has concertized in Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, Turkey and the U. S., and has been prizewinner in piano competitions in both Europe and the U.S. Collaborative faculty member at the Music Academy of the West since 2004 and Principal Keyboard with the Santa Barbara Symphony since 2010, Dr. Kislenko is currently a Lecturer in the UCSB Department of Music.
Chavdar Parashkevov, violinist, was born in Bulgaria and has concertized to lavish critical acclaim throughout Europe and the United States. Winner of prizes from national and international competitions, his diverse career has included appearances as concerto soloist, solo recitalist, and chamber musician in Denmark, Italy, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the U.S. A graduate of the School for the Arts in Varna, Bulgaria, he came to the U.S. in 1997 to continue his education with Edward Schmieder at Southern Methodist University and Andjei Grabiec at the University of Houston. In 2005 Chavdar and pianist Vessela Gintcheva released the CD Moto Perpetuo, which features Bulgarian violin music, and in 2009 the CD was played for the Shuttle Atlantis during Mission STS 125 to the Hubble Space Telescope. Mr. Parashkevov currently combines performing and teaching careers, and performs in the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet Orchestras.
