Tickets are available through the Artis—Naples box office
Phone: 239-597-1900
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 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, was 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 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).
Program
This program celebrates the American Dream through its most iconic symbol: New York City. A place of arrival and reinvention, it inspires, beguiles, and leaves its mark on all who pass through or make it their home. Featuring the saxophone – the ultimate “new American” – tonight’s performers, Russian-speaking Americans, echo the journeys of Gershwin and Rachmaninoff.
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, arr. Jun Nagao
Valentin Kovalev
Konstantin Soukhovetski
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Vocalise
Valentin Kovalev
Milana Strezeva
Ástor Piazzolla: History of Tango
I. Bordello 1900
II. Café 1930
Valentin Kovalev
Konstantin Soukhovetski
Roberto Molinelli: Pictures from New York
I. Dreamy dawn
II. Tango Club
Valentin Kovalev
Milana Strezeva