Transfigured Night - Sinfonia Toronto Concert April 3, 2009

Conductor Nurhan Arman will conduct Sinfonia Toronto on a Masterpiece Series concert on Friday, April 3, 2009 at 8 pm at Grace Church on-the-Hill (300 Lonsdale Road).

The concert titled ‘Transfigured Night’ will feature the brilliant Canadian pianist Darrett Zusko. Mr. Zusko will perform Liszt’s Piano Concerto E major.

The orchestra will perform a sparkling Haydn Divertimento and Schoenberg’s romantic Transfigured Night.

Hailed for his "…powerful technique and sonority", "exceptional musicality and virtuosity", and for his ability to achieve "effects on an orchestral scale", 22-year-old Canadian pianist Darrett Zusko continues to establish himself as one of today's most important young concert artists. Having thrilled audiences and critics alike with his passionate and electrifying performances, Mr. Zusko has already been repeatedly engaged as soloist with many of today's leading orchestras including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Montréal Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, and the Louisiana Philharmonic among many others.

A top prizewinner at the prestigious Montréal International Musical Competition and the New Orleans International Piano Competition, he is also the recipient of numerous other awards including the first prize and people's choice award at the Canadian Music Competitions International Stepping Stone, first prize at the Bartók-Kabalevsky-Prokofiev International Piano Competition and first prize at the Oberlin International Piano Competition.

In recent seasons, notable venues he has performed at with orchestra and in recital include Roy Thomson Hall, Massey Hall, Place des Arts, Glenn Gould Studio, the St. Lawrence Center for the Performing Arts, Salle Pierre Mercure, Salle Desjardins-Telus and many others. He has toured across Canada for Jeunesses Musicales, appeared at the Festival of the Sound as soloist and with the Allegri String Quartet, at Festival Vancouver with the Borealis String Quartet, at the Guelph Spring Festival, at the Collingwood Summer Music Festival, and as well at the Gijón International Piano Festival in Spain as guest artist in recital and with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Gijón performing Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto under the direction of Oliver Díaz. A large number of Mr. Zusko's performances have as well been frequently broadcast on CBC Radio's In Performance, Symphony Hall, Music Around Us, Espace Musique, and on CBC Television across Canada.

Born in Windsor Ontario, Darrett Zusko began studying the piano at the age of four. He has since worked with such distinguished artists as Barry Snyder, Jerome Lowenthal, Anton Kuerti, Boris Slutsky, Daniel Shapiro, Marek Jablonski, Leon Fleisher and Dominique Weber to name but a few. For seven years he took lessons with Dr. Gregory Butler in Windsor and prior to college studied extensively with renowned pianist Ronald Turini, one of the few privileged students of the legendary Vladimir Horowitz. He has now completed a Diploma at the Juilliard School in New York and is currently enrolled in their Graduate Diploma program where he is a student of Julian Martin.

There will be a free post-concert reception, giving audience members a chance to meet the orchestra members, guest-conductor and soloist.

Online discount tickets are $35 adult, $27 senior, $7 student (16-29) and can be purchased at www.sinfoniatoronto.com or at regular price by phone 416-499-0403 or at the door.

Official Website: http://www.sinfoniatoronto.com/