Pianist Inna Faliks Premieres Autobiographical Concert-Monologue

Returning to her alma mater with a Chicago premiere, Inna Faliks, an alumna of the Music Institute of Chicago and daughter of faculty member Irene Faliks, brings her autobiographical concert-monologue to Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston, on Sunday, February 10 at 3 p.m.

"Polonaise-Fantaisie: The Story of a Pianist" traces Faliks' journey from the former Soviet Union to the freedom of the United States and a life in music. She tells her incredible story while playing music that spans 289 years, running the gamut from Bach and Mozart to contemporary composer Jan Freidlin, interspersed with her own writings chronicling her upbringing in Odessa, Ukraine; her musical and romantic awakenings; and her immigration to the U.S. as a Jewish refugee.

Complementing a double CD of the same name, the program includes Shchedrin's Basso Ostinato; Bach's Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp minor, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1; Freidlin's Ballade in Black and White, written for Faliks in 2011; Mozart's Fantasia in D Minor, K 397; the Chopin-Liszt song The Maiden's Wish; the Paganini-Liszt work La Campanella; Chopin's Polonaise-fantaisie, Op. 61; and Beethoven's 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126.

After studying at the Music Institute with Emilio del Rosario, Faliks worked with such towering figures as Leon Fleisher, Ann Schein, and Gilbert Kalish, eventually earning a doctor of musical arts degree from Stony Brook University in New York. She has performed in some of the world's most distinguished venues, including Carnegie Hall's Weill Concert Hall, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, Paris' Salle Cortot, Chicago's Symphony Center, and many more. Critics have described her as "a soloist in total command of her instrument" and "a concert pianist of the highest order." She is currently Professor of Piano and Head of Piano at UCLA. She is also founder and curator of the award-winning series Music/Words, creating performances in collaboration with distinguished poets.

The Music Institute's 2018-19 Faculty and Guest Artist Series continues with Paul Barnes, pianist and chanter, in "Love and Death and Resurrection in the Musical Vision of Philip Glass, Franz Liszt, and Ancient Chant" March 10; the genre-defying Time for Three trio April 7; a Lionel Hampton Birthday Celebration featuring Joe Locke, Tammy McCann, and Thaddeus Tukes April 20; and the Academy Orchestra with the Bach Week Festival and piano soloist Sergei Babayan April 28.

Sunday, February 10 at 3 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston.
Tickets are $50 for VIP seating, $40 for adults, $25 for senior citizens,
and $15 for students, available at musicinst.org/faculty-guest-artist-series
or by calling 847.448.8328 or 800.838.3006. All programming is subject to change. For more information, visit musicinst.org.