Young Virtuoso: Conquering Piano & Violin at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Reno on Saturday, March 5, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 6, 2022 at 4 p.m
This March, the Reno Phil will welcome back 20-year-old soloist Ray Ushikubo on both piano and violin for the upcoming Classix concert, Young Virtuoso: Conquering Piano & Violin.
Ushikubo will play the Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1 and a virtuosic solo work for violin and orchestra – the Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Camille Saint-Saëns. A native of California, Ushikubo is currently a junior attending the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. He studies piano with Gary Graffman and Robert McDonald and violin with Shmuel Ashkenasi and Pamela Frank. Ushikubo made his concert debut at age 10, and last performed with the Reno Phil when he was just 15-years-old.
“Ray Ushikubo is a phenomenal artist with extraordinary talent,” said Music Director Laura Jackson. “He first came to Reno as a child prodigy and dazzled everyone with his Grieg Piano Concerto. This time he returns as a young man with a blossoming soloist career. What is truly unique about Ray is that he is equally brilliant on piano and violin and we will hear him play both on this concert. It is an event not to be missed.”
Mendelssohn’s first piano concerto is one of the most performed concertos in piano concerto literature, often showing up on competition programs. Franz Liszt, the 19th century charismatic pianist-showman, is given credit for making the work famous. Saint-Saëns wrote the Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in 1863 in response to a request of the distinguished virtuoso violinist of the time, Pablo Sarasate. It evokes Spanish idioms and is a brightly polished gem of the violin repertoire.
On the program:
Fanny MENDELSSOHN Overture in C Major
Felix MENDELSSOHN Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, op. 25
Robert SCHUMANN Symphony No. 4 in D minor, op. 120
Camille SAINT-SAËNS Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
Tickets range from $33 – $89; available at renophil.com. $9 youth tickets for ages 26 and under are available. Livestream options are also available for $25. The health and well-being of our patrons, staff, and community is our number one priority. All concert attendees (ages 3 and up) will be required to provide proof of vaccination OR a negative Covid-19 test. Masks are optional. Visit our website to learn more about our updated health and safety policies.
About Reno Phil
In its 53rd season, the Reno Phil is deeply committed to uniting its community through performance, education, and engagement programs, reaching an audience of more than 50,000 annually. Since its beginnings in 1969, the Reno Phil has been an essential thread in the city’s cultural fabric and the very foundation of Reno’s performing arts. As a resident company of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, the orchestra, led by Music Director Laura Jackson, performs a full season of concerts featuring internationally acclaimed guest artists and works by legendary and living composers. The Reno Phil keeps exceptional musical experiences at the heart of its community. To learn more about the Reno Phil and its events, and to discover all that the Reno Phil offers, visit renophil.com.
