Quad City Symphony Orchestra Masterworks III: “Schumann Piano Concerto,” December 6 and 7

Saturday, December 6, 7:30 p.m.

Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA

Sunday, December 7, 2 p.m.

Barlett Performing Arts Center, 3600 Avenue of the Cities, Moline IL

In addition to thrilling pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, attendees of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's third Masterworks concerts of the season will be treated to a heartfelt masterpiece in Schumann Piano Concerto, the respective December 6 and 7 performances at Davenport's Adler Theatre and Moline's Bartlett Performing Arts Center boasting the skills of world-renowned pianist Yefim Bronfman.

Born in Tashkent in the Soviet Union, Bronfman immigrated to Israel with his family in 1973, where he studied with pianist Arie Vardi, head of the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University. In the United States, he studied at the Juilliard School, Marlboro School of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music, under Rudolf Firkusny, Leon Fleisher, and Rudolf Serkin. A recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize, one of the highest honors given to American instrumentalists, in 2010, he was further honored as the recipient of the Jean Gimbel Lane prize in piano performance from Northwestern University and in 2015 with an honorary doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music.

Widely praised for his solo, chamber and orchestral recordings, Mr. Bronfman has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, winning in 1997 with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic for their recording of the three Bartok Piano Concerti. His prolific catalog of recordings includes works for two pianos by Rachmaninoff and Brahms with Emanuel Ax; the complete Prokofiev concerti with the Israel Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta; a Schubert/Mozart disc with the Zukerman Chamber Players; and the soundtrack to Disney’s Fantasia 2000. His most recent CD releases are the 2014 Grammy-nominated Magnus Lindberg’s Piano Concerto No. 2 commissioned for him and performed by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert on the Da Capo label; Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 with Mariss Jansons and the Bayerischer Rundfunk; a recital disc, Perspectives, complementing Bronfman’s designation as a Carnegie Hall ‘Perspectives’ artist for the 2007-08 season; and recordings of all the Beethoven piano concerti as well as the Triple Concerto together with violinist Gil Shaham, cellist Truls Mørk, and the Tönhalle Orchestra Zürich under David Zinman for the Arte Nova/BMG label.

Internationally recognized as one of today’s most acclaimed and admired pianists, Bronfman stands among a handful of artists regularly sought by festivals, orchestras, conductors and recital series, while his commanding technique, power and exceptional lyrical gifts are consistently acknowledged by the press and audiences alike. With the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Bronfman will be showcased in the Robert Schumann Piano Concerto that gives the event its title. Audiences can also delight in an experience rich with elegance and virtuosic beauty through Bach’s graceful Third Orchestral Suite, with Mozart’s joyful and exuberant “Jupiter” Symphony combining for a timeless and radiant musical experience full of warmth and connection.

Masterworks III: Schumann Piano Concerto performances will be held at Davenport's Adler Theatre on December 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Moline's Bartlett Performing Arts Center on December 7 at 2 p.m. One hour prior to each performance, concert-goers are invited to attend informational "Concert Conversations" to learn about the works on the program, and on Saturday, "Afterglow" attendees can mingle with Maestro Mark Russell Smith, guest artists, and members of the QCSO in the lobby of the Hotel Blackhawk immediately following the performance. Admission to the concerts is $8-70, and more information and tickets are available by contacting the Quad City Symphony Orchestra at (563)322-0931 and visiting QCSO.org.