Veer Magazine
Earlier this year, the Virginia Arts Festival celebrated in grand style the 150th birthday of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff with a series of chamber music concerts featuring the internationally acclaimed Dali Quartet and violinist Tianwa Yang as well as Sterling Elliott (cello), Debra Wendells Cross (flute), and Darrin Milling (trombone).
Front and center for most of these performances was the phenomenal, often animated pianist Olga Kern, who opened the spring Arts Festival season with a dazzling solo recital.
For Kern the performances hit home in a most personally joyous way.
“Rachmaninoff was a good friend of my great grandmother (Vera Pushechnikova),” Kern said. “She was a mezzo-soprano. They performed together quite a lot. He was accompanying her, so that was very special. In two of Rachmaninoff’s memoirs she is mentioned and there are the dates that they played.
“Every time I perform Rachmaninoff’s music I feel his spirit is with me.”
On October 20 (Ferguson Center), October 21 (Chrysler Hall) and October 22 (Sandler Center), not only will the otherworldly energy force of Rachmaninoff be accompanying Kern on stage, so too will the flesh and blood of the mighty Virginia Symphony Orchestra.