(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Legacy Arts International presents Altamura Legacy Concerts, a new concert series developed by pianist Cristina Altamura, featuring herself and a roster of guest artists performing on a newly restored 1924 Steinway B grand at Princeton United Methodist Church home of the majestic Tiffany stained-glass window depicting St. George that graces its façade.
Concerts are on selected Sundays at 4:00pm in the Sanford Davis Room of PrincetonUMC, adjacent to the church’s sanctuary. Guest artists range from some of Italy’s most illustrious piano masters, to New York’s current avant-garde, to Princeton’s own community of distinguished pianists. Altamura will be joined by her husband, Sō Percussion’s Adam Sliwinski, for an informal talk at the beginning of each program.
The centerpiece of these concerts is Altamura’s 1924 Steinway B grand piano, which was bequeathed to her by her mentor, pianist Jody Wise (1944 - 2020), along with a massive library of piano literature. Wise was passionate about combining the most exciting new works with the standard piano repertoire. In 2023 the piano was exquisitely restored by artisans Luis Cajas and Ivan Brenner at Cantabile Piano Arts in Yonkers. It lives in the Sanford Davis Room so that the public can enjoy its warm and sonorous character, and also to honor Jody Wise’s legacy.
Each concert will include a coffee/tea bar by illy Coffee At Earth's End Princeton 3:30-4:00pm. “The concerts are strategically scheduled between 4:00pm - 6:00pm to give audience members the opportunity to witness the morphing colors of the church’s brilliant stained-glass windows as the setting sun casts a glow in real time with the music,” says Altamura.
The series launches on September 24th with a commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff by way of a 19th-century Parisian salon. Altamura performs works by Chopin and Rachmaninoff. Award-winning tenor Fanyong Du is joined by pianist Binna Han, and up-and-coming soprano Katie Lerner Lee is accompanied by Altamura to perform rarely heard songs by both composers. Tickets are available for purchase online.
The name of this series reflects the legacy of Cristina’s parents. She plans to continue the fifty-year history of their philanthropic organization Inter-Cities Performing Arts, Inc, through her work. InterCities helped launched the careers of many globally recognized opera singers, conductors, and musicians via grants, commissions, competition prizes, and worldwide performance opportunities.
Princeton United Methodist Church is located at 7 Vandeventer Avenue in Princeton, New Jersey.
Legacy Arts International is a Princeton, NJ based musical arts organization which facilitates cultural exchange, initiates performances and educational programs to build vibrant artistic communities, and documents important artistic legacies. The company is best known for the Altamura/Caruso International Voice Competition, founded in 1988 by Cristina’s mother, soprano Carmela Altamura.
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