Concert-goers can experience the height of Russian Romanticism, when the elegant Jamila Tekalli joins the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra for the The Romance of Rachmaninoff on Saturday Feb. 29 and Sunday March 1.
The American pianist of Japanese and Libyan descent will perform Piano Concerto No. 2, one of Rachmaninoff’s most popular and frequently performed works for piano and orchestra.
Filled with virtuosic summits and grand melodic gestures, the concerto is still emotionally intimate.
The Russian symphonic tradition is represented fully on the second half of the program, when the orchestra performs Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 1. Described as dynamic and passionate, the Symphony No. 1 is both heroic and grandly tragic, without the pathos of the composer’s later music.
Dr. Tekalli has performed three times with the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra and often tours with her violinist brother, Suliman.
Tickets are $25 in advance for adults, available through the orchestra website at SpaceCoastSymphony.org or at Marine Bank & Trust in Suntree.
Tickets at the door are $30.
The Romance of Rachmaninoff is free for those aged 18 and under or with a student ID.
Conductor and Artistic Director, Aaron T. Collins, is delighted to welcome Jamila Tekalli back for her fourth performance with the SCSO during The Romance of Rachmaninoff.
“Jamila is one of my all-time favorite musicians,” said Collins. “From her thrilling performances at the White House to Central Florida, every concert is a jaw-dropping event. She is incredibly in demand as a pianist and lecturer and we are very fortunate to have her performing with us on this concert.”
Dr. Tekalli serves as Director of Music at Pilgrim Lutheran Church and piano faculty at the Levine School of Music and is a member of the Music Teacher’s National Association, National Guild of Piano Teachers, and Chamber Music of America.
Performances will be held Saturday, Feb. 29, at 7 p.m. at the Scott Center for Performing Arts, 5625 Holy Trinity Dr., Melbourne, and Sunday, March 1 at 3 p.m., Vero Beach High School PAC, 1707 16th St., Vero Beach.