Pianist Santiago Rodriguez to solo with Palm Beach Symphony

WEST PALM BEACH — The Cuban-American pianist Santiago Rodriguez will be the soloist in the Palm Beach Symphony’s February concert, the orchestra announced Thursday.

The previously announced soloist, the Russian-American Vladimir Feltsman, has withdrawn because of “unforeseen circumstances,” officials said.

Rodriguez will perform the previously scheduled piece, the Piano Concerto in A minor of the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. The rest of the Feb. 5 program, led by music director Gerard Schwarz, includes Rimsky-Koraskov's epic and popular "Scheherazade," and a world premiere, "Orchestral Excursions," written by the Pulitzer Prize winner Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.

Zwilich grew up in Miami and is a part-time resident of Pompano Beach. The new piece was commissioned by former Ambassador Bonnie McElveen-Hunter and is inspired by the art of painter Gil Maurer.

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Rodriguez was sent to the United States from his hometown of Cardenas, Cuba, after Fidel Castro seized power in 1959. He came to international attention in 1981 when he won a silver medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

He has since performed with leading orchestras worldwide and made numerous recordings, three of which were singled out as the “best available” by National Public Radio in its guide to building a classical music CD collection.

Rodriguez chairs the keyboard performance department at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and is currently engaged in recording all of the solo piano compositions of Sergei Rachmaninoff.

The Feb. 5 concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in Dreyfoos Hall at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. Tickets range in price from $25 to $95 and can be had from the orchestra at palmbeachsymphony.org or by phone at 561-281-0145. They can also be purchased through the Kravis Center at kravis.org or by calling 561-832-7469.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Pianist Santiago Rodriguez to perform with Palm Beach Symphony