The South Florida Chapter of the American Liszt Society and Deering Estate present a piano recital on Friday, October 20 at 8:00 p.m. at the Deering Estate. Part of a multi-season Liszt Piano Series, the evening features world-renowned and South Florida-based powerhouse pianist Kemal Gekić with an unforgettable evening of pianistic fireworks. The concert takes place in the historic Stone House Ballroom.
Tickets are $20 adults & $12 Senior and Student (K-12 & college with student I.D.). For more information on the Chamber Series and Liszt Piano Series, or to purchase tickets, please visit the Deering Estate website.
Cultural Arts Programming is made possible with support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, Diario Las Américas, and The Deering Estate Foundation, Inc.
South Florida Chapter of the American Liszt Society:
The Liszt Piano Series features the South Florida Chapter of the American Liszt Society, dedicated to disseminating the work and ideals of Franz Liszt. The Chapter, inaugurated in 2010 at Florida International University’s School of Music, has since presented yearly mini Festivals at FIU’s Wertheim Performing Arts Center Concert Hall and at other venues throughout South Florida, including the Deering Estate and the Coral Gables Museum. In 2012 the Chapter inaugurated a new Piano Series at the Deering Estate, including recitals and master classes.
About the Artist: Kemal Gekić
Flamboyant, daring, provocative, exciting, seductive and sensitive are some of the words used to describe one of today’s most formidable pianists, Kemal Gekic, whose playing has been acclaimed worldwide by public and critics alike. Born in Split, Croatia in 1962, Gekić amazed his family by accurately picking out melodies at the piano at age one and a half. The young prodigy received all his early musical training from his aunt, Lorenza Batturina. In 1978 he entered the class pf Prof. Jokuthon Mihailovich (a graduate of Moscow Conservatory) at the Art Academy of Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. He graduated in 1982 with the highest mark ever granted a diploma exam recital, and was immediately given a faculty appointment by the piano department which he eventually directed until 1999. During his school years he won prizes at the Franz Liszt Competition in Parma (1981), the Viana da Motta in Lisbon (1983) and the Yugoslav Artists’ Competition in Zagreb (1984). He earned his Master’s degree in 1985, the same year he created a sensation at the Chopin Competition in Warsaw. Although panned by the jury he won the hearts of audience and critics alike, and began receiving many invitations to perform abroad, including several from the Chopin Society of Hannover, Germany which had awarded him a special prize for best sonata performance at the competition. A recording of his Warsaw performances sold 60,000 copies in Germany by the end of the year, and the Victor Entertainment Corporation, Japan (JVC) sold 80,000 copies of a CD version in their home country. In the years following the 1985 Chopin Competition, in addition to extensive concert activity in Germany, Denmark, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Spain, France, Italy, Canada and of course Yugoslavia, he completed tours of the USSR and Japan-Southeast Rim. Programs of his life and his performances were broadcast by RAI Italy, TV Portugal, TV Yugoslavia, NHK Japan, POLTEL Poland, RTV Lower Saxony West Germany, RTV USSR, Intervision, CBC and PBS. Kemal Gekić is Professor of Piano at Florida International University, a position he has held since 1999.
About the Deering Estate:
The 450+ acre Deering Estate is an environmental, archaeological and historical preserve. From canoe tours to bird walks and guided Historic House and Natural Areas Tours, the Deering Estate has diverse activities for the whole family to enjoy. The Estate is part of the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department, which manages the Estate on behalf of the State of Florida. Discover More art, culture, history, science, preservation, conservation and ecology at the Deering Estate today!
Deering Estate
16701 SW 72nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33157
305.235.1668
www.deeringestate.org
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