Symphony piano series features Robert Henry

BOZEMAN SYMPHONY

BOZEMAN – The Bozeman Symphony continues its 13th season presenting world-class pianists in recital with the first performance of its 2016 piano series on Friday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Nationally acclaimed pianist Robert Henry will be performing on a Steinway model D grand piano at Montana State University’s Reynolds Recital Hall.

Henry is a talented performer with a sound that brings to mind the great pianists of the past, for whom beauty of tone was integral to the structure of the phrase. He has a reputation for delivering stunning performances of the most demanding repertoire and for presenting overlooked masterpieces to the public, from Bach to Babajanian.

Complimenting his prowess of the piano is Henry’s aptitude for nocturnes. He has a special knack for uncovering short, romantic, compositions including one by the Russian composer Alexey Stanchinsky, written in 1907. Stanchinsky was well known in his day, but died tragically young and was largely forgotten until Henry premiered Stanchinsky’s long forgotten “Nocturne” as part of his 2010 album “Twelve Nocturnes and a Waltz.”

“It is unusual to find a piece that has yet to be recorded. Nevertheless, Alexei Stanchinsky’s forgotten ‘Nocturne’ from 1907 has somehow slipped under the radar for over 100 years,” Henry said about his discovery of the piece. “Perhaps the treacherous difficulty of this piece has scared pianists away … perhaps the suicide of the 26-year-old Stanchinsky invites an unwelcome element of macabre.”

Whatever the reason for the neglect, it is undeserved, Henry says, as colleagues and professors considered Stanchinsky potentially a greater talent than fellow classmate Rachmaninoff.

During Piano Series II, Henry will perform Franz Liszt’s “Löse, Himmel, meine Seele,” from his latest album as well as complex and challenging numbers by Haydn, Boulanger, Brahms, among others. Consistent with his reputation for premiering pieces by world-renowned composers like Brahms and Stanchinsky, Henry’s programming for Piano Series II is intentional.

Tickets are available at bozemansymphony.org or by calling the Bozeman Symphony Society at (406) 585-9774. Tickets may also be purchased at the Reynolds Recital Hall door starting at 7 p.m. the night of the performance, if they’re still available.