"FORT WORTH, Texas – Musical competitions enter the realm of pleasure only when contestants allow the audience to forget the sporting aspect of the event and bask in nothing more (or less) than the music-making. Vadym Kholodenko, a 26-year-old pianist from Ukraine, managed the feat handily Friday during the second night of the final round of the 14th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at Bass Performance Hall. His brilliant and sweeping account of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 was the highlight so far of the finals, which continue Saturday and Sunday with the six finalists playing other concertos with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin. Prokofiev never makes things easy for pianists, but there was never a moment when Kholodenko appeared to be stressed by any flourish in the third concerto. Instead, he took delight in the score’s acrobatic flights and whirlwind passagework, while also bringing affectionate nuances to lyrical episodes. Although the concerto abounds in writing that could emphasize the piano’s percussive side, Kholodenko applied enough pinpoint clarity and deftness of touch to avoid harsh sounds. His attention to texture and shape was as fine as his contact with Slatkin and the orchestra, who were at their alert and poetic best. What the jury ultimately decides about the finalists won’t be revealed until Sunday night. But no one who heard Kholodenko in the Prokofiev concerto is likely to forget the excitement he generated."
Posted on: Sun, 09 Jun 2013 21:22:16 +0000