Event
Grand Piano Series
Narrative Musicales Rhapsody in New York
Valentin Kovalev, saxophone
Konstantin Soukhovetski, piano
Milana Strezeva, piano
Gershwin, arr. Nagao — Rhapsody in Blue
Rachmaninoff — Vocalise
Piazzolla — The History of Tango
Roberto Molinelli — Pictures from New York
Enjoy a richly textured musical portrait of New York, brought into focus through rhythm, style and reflection. Saxophonist Valentin Kovalev joins pianists Milana Strezeva and Konstantin Soukhovetski in a program that moves fluidly across styles and eras — from Gershwin’s lyrical vitality to Piazzolla’s modern tango and Molinelli’s evocative city-inspired scenes. Elements of introspection and jazz-inflected drive sit side by side, with expressive music and spoken context illuminating the heritage of a city shaped by motion, sound and creative exchange.
This Narrative Musicales presentation is part of the Grand Piano Series.
Performance Note
Due to an injury, Eleni Katz, who was scheduled to be the guest bassoonist, will be unable to travel to Naples to perform, so the program for the performance has been adjusted. We are pleased to share that classical saxophonist Valentin Kovalev and Juilliard-trained pianist Milana Strezeva will join composer, pianist and educator Konstantin Soukhovetski for a performance titled Rhapsody in New York.
Valentin Kovalev
Valentin Kovalev
Classical saxophonist Valentin Kovalev is redefining the voice of the saxophone for the 21st century. His commanding performances, innovative programming, and powerful digital presence are elevating the instrument on the world's most prestigious stages.
This mission was brought to the forefront with his victory at the 2022 Naumburg Foundation International Saxophone Competition, which culminated in a sold-out debut recital at Carnegie Hall. The 2023 performance featured the world premiere of a new work by GRAMMY-winning composer Steven Mackey, solidifying Valentin's reputation as a trailblazer.
Valentin’s growing list of accolades includes winning the Concert Artists Guild (CAG) Competition and its Audience Award, joining the roster of Astral Artists as a National Competition Winner, and receiving significant awards from the Fondation pour la Vocation (France), the Rostropovich Foundation (Russia), and the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.
His dynamic artistry spans genres, from a world premiere with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra to a live performance with acclaimed electronic violinist Lindsey Stirling for an audience of 6,000. An active educator, Valentin has taught masterclasses across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and was recently appointed visiting professor at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Valentin's journey from Siberia to the world stage — with studies in Moscow, the Paris Conservatory, and the University of Michigan— is a testament to his singular vision. His impact extends online, where he has cultivated a global community of over 150,000 followers and garnered more than 100 million views across his social media channels.
Valentin Kovalev is a Henri Selmer Paris and Conn-Selmer artist and is represented by Concert Artists Guild.
Konstantin Soukhovetski
Konstantin Soukhovetski
Konstantin Soukhovetski is a pianist, composer and educator who is the winner of 17 awards from prestigious international piano competitions. Soukhovetski has performed to critical acclaim at leading venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall (London) and the Louvre (Paris).
As the newly appointed director of education and community engagement at Grand Piano Series in Naples, Soukhovetski brings his dynamic combination of performance and audience interaction honed through his acclaimed presentations on music at the Curtis Institute of Music, Northwestern University, Singapore’s Academy of Music, Latvia’s Jelgava Music School and as an adjunct faculty member at his alma mater, The Juilliard School. Born in Moscow to a family of artists, Soukhovetski studied at the Moscow Central Music School, where he double majored in piano and composition.
Soukhovetski’s Pride Suite for piano is enjoying world premieres this season, and his first symphonic work, Once Upon the Spring, will be performed with the Auburn Symphony in California and the Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras. He now resides in Naples, where he enjoys the rich cultural offerings, beautiful weather and the thriving artistic community.
Milana Strezeva
Milana Strezeva
Milana Strezeva is a Juilliard-trained pianist, founding member of the Manhattan Piano Trio, and co-founder of the Grand Piano Series in Naples, Florida. Milana's experience as a stellar performer and strategic arts executive has come together at the Grand Piano Series, where Milana demonstrated an innate ability to foster collaborations and contribute positively to community enrichment through music.
Praised by the critics for her "technically fluid, dramatically convincing, and sonically full-bodied supportive collaborations" (Boston Globe), Milana Strezeva is a Moldovan-American pianist. At the age of 11, she began playing chamber music with her clarinetist father and her mother, the renowned soprano Svetlana Strezeva. Milana's love for family collaboration eventually grew into a passionate advocacy of vocal and instrumental chamber music. Milana is a founding member of the award-winning Manhattan Piano Trio, which has performed in more than 30 American states, in Australia, South Africa, and Italy, and in venues such as Alice Tully Hall (Lincoln Center), Merkin Hall (Kaufman Music Center), and the Ravinia Festival (Chicago).
Grand Piano Series
Grand Piano Series
Grand Piano Series is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), tax-exempt and financially self-supporting organization. Founded in 2016 by Milana Strezeva and Raniero Tazzi, Grand Piano Series is a nonprofit concert and education organization that seeks to enrich the cultural life of the Southwest Florida community with memorable concerts by international artists of the highest caliber, along with a dynamic program of community outreach for all ages, including programs for over 10,000 students each year in Collier and Lee counties.
For more information, visit grandpianoseries.org.
Program Book
Program Book
View this month's program book to get general information about Artis—Naples and to read articles about this month’s activities. View the program insert* for specific information about this event.
Program Book
Program Insert
* Program inserts will be available online approximately ten days prior to the event.
