Boris Petrushansky

On March 3 at 4 p.m., Altamura Legacy Concerts (ALC) at Princeton United Methodist Church presents Russian pianist and Tchaikovsky Competition jury member Boris Petrushansky performing Mussorgsky’s  Pictures at an Exhibition, paired with Schumann’s Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6.

This concert marks the septuagenarian’s historic return to the U.S. in over two decades. Admission is $40, $10 for students, cash at the door or reserved seating. The church is located on Nassau Street at Vandeventer Avenue. The concert series opens its doors at 3:30 p.m. with a welcoming Coffee/Tea Bar in the venue organized by Illy At Earth’s End. Visit legacyartsinternationa.org for ticket information.

Petrushansky’s visit continues with two masterclasses. On Monday, March 4 from 5:30-8 p.m. at Taplin Hall on the Princeton campus, he will work with young pianists from the Music Department at Princeton University, and on March 5 from 4-6 p.m. he will be teaching Curtis Institute piano students at Jacobs Music’s Philadelphia Steinway showroom.  These masterclasses are free and open to the public.

“It is a tremendous honor for us to facilitate
Petrushansky’s return to the U.S. and it fulfills Legacy Arts International’s mission to preserve and cultivate the artistic legacies of significant artists, master teachers, and institutions,” said Altamura Legacy Concerts Artistic Director Cristina Altamura. “I have admired his poetic pianism, gentle manner, and profound teaching since I was a student in Italy. I am certain Princeton’s piano-loving audiences will be equally enthralled to watch him perform and teach.”

Born in 1949 in Moscow into a musical family, Petrushansky is included in Neuhaus’ list of some of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century including Emil Gilels, Sviatoslav
Richter, and Radu Lupu.  After studying with Lev Naumov, he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in 1975, having already distinguished himself in major international competitions. He went on to perform in concert halls, with conductors, orchestras and record labels worldwide. Petrushansky has taught major competition winners from around the world.

Altamura Legacy Concerts is a new concert series developed in 2023 by pianist and artistic director Cristina Altamura, featuring herself and a roster of guest artists performing on a newly restored 1924 Steinway B grand at Princeton United Methodist Church, home of the majestic Tiffany stained-glass window depicting St. George that graces its façade. Concerts are on selected Sundays at 4 p.m. in the Sanford Davis Room of Princeton UMC, adjacent to the church’s sanctuary. Guest artists range from some of Italy’s and Russia’s most illustrious piano masters, to New York’s current avant-garde, to Princeton’s own community of distinguished pianists. Altamura will be joined by her husband, So Percussion’s Adam Sliwinski, for an informal talk at the beginning of each program.