April 1st is Rachmaninov Birthday

April 1st is the birthday of the great Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov. Born in Russia in 1873, Rachmaninov was a celebrated composer, conductor, and one of the most famous virtuoso pianists of all time. Recordings of his works played by the composer himself are still the best and unsurpassed by later interpretations.

Rachmaninov represents Romanticism in music. Indeed, his favorite and most revered composer was P. I Tchaikovsky. Rachmaninov was also a friend and rival of another great Russian composer, Alexander Scriabin, whom he met while they were both studying at Moscow Conservator. During their youth, Scriabin was considered more innovative and promising; however, time put everything in perspective and we now admire Rachmaninov as one of the most acclaimed composers of the late 19th and first half of the 20th century.

After the Russian revolution of 1917, Rachmaninov emigrated to the US and resided in Beverly Hills, CA. Another famous composer that comes to mind in comparison to Rachmaninov is F. Chopin. Like Rachmaninov, Chopin dedicated many of his works to his beloved piano. They also both spent their mature years

away from the land of their birth and suffered from nostalgia.

Independent Opera Company will be celebrating Rachmaninov and his music in April with a very special program of his vocal and piano music. Singers Brooke Iva Lohman, Aaron Ball, Alexis Wesley, and Luke Norvell will be collaborating

with pianist and IOC Artistic Director Galina Barskaya. The program will livestream on April 25th and will be available on demand until May 9th.

Tickets to IOC concert