The Romantic Connection Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel

Internationally acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Siegel celebrates the 13th season of his ever-popular Keyboard Conversations^® series at Scandinavia House. Each evening comprises an informal commentary on the music and its composers, a full performance of each work, and a short Q & A session. The accessible format enables audiences to build an understanding of classical music whether newcomer or seasoned listener.

In tonight’s event, Mr. Siegel will perform the music of Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt — three of the greatest composers of the romantic 19th century, all born within months of one another.

A renowned pianist and a Steinway artist, Jeffrey Siegel has enjoyed an illustrious career. Born into a musical family, Siegel studied with Rudolf Ganz in his native Chicago, with the legendary Rosina Lhévinne at The Juilliard School and, as a Fulbright Scholar, with Ilona Kabos in London.

He has performed with some of the finest orchestras in the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony, Moscow State Symphony, the Oslo and Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestras, and NHK Symphony of Japan, among others. In the U.S., his engagements have included solo performances with the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Siegel has also collaborated with many of pre-eminent conductors: Pierre Boulez, Charles Dutoit, Neeme Järvi, James Levine, Zubin Mehta, Leonard Slatkin, Michael Tilson Thomas, and David Zinman, as well as legendary maestros of the past, including Claudio Abbado, Lorin Maazel, Eugene Ormandy, Sir George Solti, William Steinberg, Klaus Tennstedt, and Yevgeny Svetlanov.

Siegel has also recorded The Power and Passion of Beethoven (Random House Audio, 2006); The Romanticism of the Russian Soul (Random House Audio, 2006); The Romance of the Piano (Random House Audio, 2006); An American Salute (Random House Audio, 2007); Music for the Young – and the Young at Heart (WFMT Radio, Chicago, 2008); and American Pianistic Treasures (WEDU, Tampa), to name a few.

The ongoing Keyboard Conversations® series flourishes in major cities throughout the United States, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Phoenix, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Dallas, Denver, and Washington, D.C. Some of these venues have presented Keyboard Conversations® for more than 30 years – testimony to Siegel’s artistry, innovative format, and loyal fans.

From Scandinavia House.