Lois Conrad and Ivalyo Vassilev. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

Generous donors to the Indian River Symphonic Association were treated to a cocktail reception at the lovely John’s Island home of Sally and Dick Brickman, which was highlighted by an extraordinary performance by 16-year-old Bulgarian pianist Ivaylo Vassilev, the soloist with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra the next evening.

“Thank you all for attending this evening for our first event of our 30th anniversary of Indian River Symphonic Association,” said Susan Smith, IRSA board president in welcome, particularly thanking the Brickmans for their hospitality.

“The Sofia Orchestra, which you will hear tomorrow evening, is one of the oldest orchestras that we’ve had in many years. They were formed in 1890. The soloist we have tonight is one of our youngest soloists. He was formed in 2007,” said Smith with a laugh.

“But needless to say, he’s incredible.”

Jacob Craig, IRSA board member and scholarship committee chair, said there is a tendency for people to call young musicians prodigies.

“Musicians quite despise that word, because it normally means just someone who can play fast,” said Craig, explaining that to musicians, the language of music includes depths of expression and emotion.

“It’s something that we don’t necessarily expect from someone who’s not lived a whole lot of years. And so, for Ivaylo, it’s very interesting when you hear him play. If you were to close your eyes and not know that he’s 16, you would easily assume from the depth of expression that he has, the experience that he’s putting into these pieces, that he’s already lived several lifetimes,” said Craig.

“I think the part of this which is almost a bit of wonder is that we have the privilege of seeing him at 16, when he’s just starting his career, So what is he going to be when his age is doubled and he’s still only 32. So just be aware that this is a really unique, rare opportunity,” said Craig, introducing Vassilev.

Before beginning his remarkable recital, Vassilev expressed his own thanks, and spoke about the first piece, Franz Liszt’s exquisite but challenging Ballade No. 2 in B Minor.

“It is a piece very close to my heart; actually it’s my favorite piece,” said Vassilev.

Explaining that it is based on a Greek legend of lovers who drown in the sea, he said the piece has clear indications of waves on the sea, an expressive theme of the girl, and a violent storm.

“And then, near the end, there is the love theme, which is one of the most beautiful melodies ever written. It eventually grows into something bigger, and at the end it kind of fades away,” said Vassilev, before proceeding to enthrall his audience with that piece and several other Ballades and Etudes by Chopin.

At the concert’s conclusion, board member Lois Conrad reiterated thanks to Vassilev and to the donors for their part in IRSA’s continued success.

She noted that their mission is threefold – bringing high-quality symphonic music to Vero Beach, introducing music to young people by presenting an annual Brevard Symphony Orchestra Children’s Concert to all fifth-grade students in the county, and assisting aspiring musicians through their scholarship program.

For more information, visitIRSymphonic.org.

Photos by Joshua Kodis