Submitted by Patty
Rambo
For those who have faithfully attended and enjoyed earlier performances of the 2017-2018 Season Series at the Libby Memorial Events Center, rest assured that the Kootenai Heritage Council has saved the best for last! The community is invited and encouraged to partake in the LAST performance on Thursday April 9th. This event is honoring and admission is free to all who are 65 years and older. Spend a relaxing and enjoyable evening with world renowned Thomas Pandolfi.
Pianist THOMAS PANDOLFI is an exciting virtuoso who, with each passing season, has become more and more sought after by audiences worldwide. He is showered with superlatives by critics for his passionate artistry and amazing technique. During the 2017-18 season, the Washington, DC native will make his debut with the Piedmont Symphony and the Evanston Symphony, and enjoy return engagements with The Wilson Symphony, The Ohio Valley Symphony, the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, and Symphonicity. His very busy recital tour has him scheduled from coast to coast, encompassing more than 20 states… and now gracing the stage in Libby, Montana.
Besides the numerous Symphonies Thomas has performed with (including The Amadeus Orchestra and The Maryland Symphony at The Garrett Lakes Arts Festival), Thomas was Artist in Residence at The Black Rock Center for the Arts in Maryland during the 2016-17 season. While in Libby, he will share his knowledge and experience with aspiring Libby students through the Kootenai Heritage Council’s Outreach School Program earlier in the day prior to his evening performance at the Memorial Center
International concerts have carried Thomas across the globe to China and Europe. Last season, he also made his Canadian debut in British Columbia.
British composer, Simon Proctor, composed Sinatra Piano Concerto for Thomas, which coincided with the 100th birthday celebration of Mr. Sinatra during last season, and a brand new Andrew Lloyd Webber Concerto, dedicated to Thomas. Following a violin concerto for Midori, and a saxophone concerto for Brandford Marsalis, film and concert composers Kim Allen Kluge and Kathryn Vassar Kluge were commissioned by Thomas to compose The American Piano Concerto, which was an absolutely smashing success at its world premiere in May, 2016 with Thomas as soloist and co-composer Kim Kluge on the podium with The Alexandria Symphony.
In addition to performing the great masterworks of the piano literature, Thomas is a masterful crossover artist – his performances of Simon Proctor’s James Bond Concerto, Richard Addinsell’s Warsaw Concerto, and George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue are regularly in demand. Pandolfi is a gifted arranger, and his own virtuosic transcriptions of music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Leonard Bernstein, Burt Bacharach and Barry Manilow are immensely popular with concert presenters and audiences alike. A few words and phrases that critics use to describe a Pandolfi performance include: exhilarating”, “played with the flair and bravado”, “ innovative interpretations”, “has a growing reputation as one of the finest young pianists of his generation, drew bravos for his passionate performance” … as the evenings usually end with a standing ovation… or two, or three…
A graduate of The Juilliard School, Pandolfi earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as a scholarship student. He has recorded and released 11 CDs, and is the proud father of a wonderful son and daughter.
Tickets for this last event remain only $15* at the door with the special presale price of $12 at local ticket outlets. Students who attend with a paying adult will be admitted for free. Tickets are available at these local merchants: Cabinet Books, Chamber of Commerce, Homesteaders Farm & Ranch, Rivermist, Western News, Mountain Meadows and Rocky Mountain Music. Troy residents can pick up their tickets at Booze ‘n Bait. Season Passes can be used – “a punch per person” – so bring a friend if you have remaining punches left on your pass! *Remember – in appreciation – the evening is FREE to all area residents who are 65 years and older.
This event has been made possible in part through grant support from Westaf, Montana’s Cultural Trust, Montana Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Montana Performing Arts Consortium.