By Amanda Calhoun
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD – Alexander Toradze’s hands moved quickly across his keyboard during his piano concert at Sangamon Auditorium on Oct. 3.
It was unbelievable to see him play, said Carolyn Yockey, who is president of the board of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. She said she’d never seen anything like it.
“It was very powerful, dramatic and alive,” Yockey said.
A widely recognized masterful virtuoso in the grand romantic tradition, Toradze played along with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra in a concert, titled “Resounding Russians.”
Toradze has appeared with the leading orchestras of North America, including the New York Philiharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra. He regularly participates in summer music festivals, including Salzburg and the White Nights in St. Petersburg. In addition, he has released many highly acclaimed recordings of piano concertos.
Born in 1952 in Tbilisi in the republic of Georgia, Toradze graduated from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow and became a professor there.
In 1983, he moved permanently to the U.S.
In 1991, he was appointed professor of piano at Indiana University, South Bend.
The members of the multi-national Toradze Piano Studio have developed into a worldwide touring ensemble that has gathered critical acclaim internationally.
Toradze said: “Don’t forget to pray to God before each performance, and don’t forget to give your soul enough air. Believe in the right purpose of art and believe in being human.”
Amanda Calhoun can be reached at [email protected].