Celebrated local concert pianist Dr. Polina Bespalko will explore her cultural past in Projected Heritage: The Seasons/The Exhibition, a performance and multimedia exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Center downtown on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
The event explores Russian cultural heritage and folklore through a pairing of classical and contemporary art forms in a collaboration between Bespalko and visual artists Ian Hayes and Joe Humbert.
The performance will feature Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons,” a 12-movement exploration of each month of the year paired with Russian folk art interpreted through holographic 3D sculptures and projected images created by Hayes. The program will conclude with Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” also enhanced by Hayes’ visual designs. The press release describes it as “a culminating reflection, connecting 19th-century artistic imagination with contemporary digital storytelling.”
Bespalko is an accomplished musician who began her career at 8 years old in her native Russia, quickly becoming a name in the classical community. She spent time as a soloist for the Moscow Philharmonic Society and has given performances in Sweden, Brazil and Italy, where she won a Gold Medal in the Rachmaninoff Concerto Competition. Bespalko made her American debut as part of the Russian-U.S. cultural music exchange where she performed in Washington D.C. and, eventually, twice as part of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
She has since earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts and continues to perform while serving as Professor of Piano and Keyboard at Xavier University, where she also directs the Xavier University Music Series. She also teaches at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.
Admission to the music exhibition is free but space is limited and registration is required. You can register here.
A reception will follow the exhibition, featuring Pelmeni Boy, the Russian-style pop-up from beloved Walnut Hills restaurant The Pickled Pig, which was recently featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Guests are encouraged to stay and enjoy the artwork and discuss the program with the performer and artist.
Projected Heritage: The Seasons/The Exhibition will take place at the CAC, located at 44 E. 6th St., Downtown, on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. More info: xavier.edu/musicseries.