SHREVEPORT, LA -- Russia native Mark Zeltser, who performs the music of all the major piano composers, feels a special affinity with fellow Russians Prokofiev and Rachmaninov, and is looking forward to the solo and collaborative pieces to be presented March 21 at Centenary.
Dr. Zeltser, an internationally recognized pianist for more than 20 years, will perform at 3 p.m. that day along with Dr. Leta Carson on flute and Gay Grosz on piano. All three are members of the Hurley School of Music faculty at Centenary College.
The program, free and open to the public, will be held in the Hurley Recital Hall. It will begin with Prokofiev's Sonata for Flute, Op. 94 and Rachmaninov's Russian Easter, Op. 5, for two pianos. After intermission, pieces to be included are Prokofiev's Two Sarcasms, Op. 17 and Diabolic Suggestion, Op. 4, No. 4, and Rachmaninov's "Intermezzo & Finale" from Piano Concerto No. 3.
Dr. Zeltser has been a member of the Centenary faculty since January 1998, joining the School of Music after expressing a wish to reduce the number of concerts that he would play. He wanted to teach, "to give back to the art some of what it had given" to him.
"Centenary was fortunate enough to acquire his services, and he has shared his art with the Centenary and Shreveport communities several times," Dr. Carson said. "There are very few performing artists that I will provide a personal guarantee as to the excitement of the performance, but he's one of them. It has been a great thrill to work with him, and I want the Shreveport community to share in the thrill."
Originally from Moscow, Dr. Zeltser has appeared with such orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France and the Moscow Philharmonic. In 1983, a Zeltser concert in Bologna, Italy attracted an audience of over 50,000, an all-time record for paid public attendance for classical music.
Dr. Carson, who joined the Centenary faculty in 1992, holds the Ed and Gladys Hurley Chair of Music. She teaches music theory, music appreciation, and flute. She presents flute recitals at Centenary, and has appeared as a performer at many local organizations and churches.
Ms. Grosz, an accompanist for the Hurley School of Music for many years, became a full-time faculty member in 1998. She has also worked with the annual Wideman Piano Competition, as well as with area professional chamber musicians. She serves as the pianist for the Evangeline Trio.
For further information, contact the Hurley School of Music at 318-869-5272.
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