“Musical Wunderkind” score with Moscow Ballet’s award-winning dancers

Concerto Competition winners perform St Saens “Dying Swan” side-by-side with Moscow Ballet soloist. Ben Solomonow and Moscow Ballet soloist present a special collaboration performance of the Great Russian Nutcracker. Ben Solomonow is a student of Hans Jensen and is currently playing on a cello made by William Whedbee in 1998. Ben, in 2009 and 2010, was a scholarship student at the Meadowmount School of Music. Ben performed a recital for the Steinway concert series and was invited to play in the Schubertiade concert series in January of 2010. Also in 2010 he won the top prize of the senior division in the Walgreen National Concerto Competition, and played the Piatigorsky “Variations on a Paganini Theme” with the MYA Symphony Orchestra. He repeated the same work with the Knox-Galesburg Symphony Orchestra in October. Other than the time Piatigorsky played this piece himself, Ben’s performance was the first played with an orchestra in the United States.” He is currently a sophomore in high school in Evanston, IL. In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Great Russian Nutcracker, five hand-selected “Musical Wunderkind” in cities across the country will open performances playing The Dying Swan while a Moscow Ballet ballerina dances the classic choreography. The five, each in their respective cities, perform “Dying Swan” from Carnival of the Animals, on the stage apron prior to the curtain rising. Moscow Ballet created the cross discipline program, “Musical Wunderkind,” as a salute to talented young Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition winners across the country. Unique to Moscow Ballet, the program is an unprecedented cooperation between the internationally renowned ballet company and up and coming musicians. Los Angeles Philharmonic winner Edvard Pogossian’s reaction to performing with Moscow Ballet is, “Of course I would love to do it…I am very much looking forward to…this incredible opportunity!” The experience develops young musician’s interpretation skills in a way practice cannot.

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