Prizewinning Russian pianist brings Chopin to El Valle

By Dylis Jones

From overloud speaker hyped blasts at a beer fest, to outstanding jazz at the City of Knowledge to a world class classical pianist, Panama is covering the spectrum of musical entertainment this month.

Russian pianist Alexandre Moutouzkine, first-prize winner of Panama’s Fourth International Piano Competition will be performing in El Valle this week.

On Saturday, January 26 He will interpret the 12 Chopin Etudes, Opus 25 for the Music Festival of El Valle.

Moutouzkine, known to friends as "Sasha", was taught by renowned Cuban-American teacher Salomon Mikowski at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, and  came to Panama’s first piano competition in 2004 to take third prize.
The Festival of the Valley in 2005 invited him to play the  Rachmaninoff Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op 18, with the National Symphony Orchestra.

Five years later he returned to the isthmus to take the gold medal.After winning the competition, Moutouzkine's career has been on a rapid rise with performances in Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Puerto Rico, Bogotá, Beijing and Japan.
Chopin’s Opus 25,  consists of twelve studies written between 1832 and 1836. The concert, at the Church of San Jose will also feature the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Jorge Ledezma-Bradely. It starts at 8 pm. Tickets are $ 20.00, on sale at the entrance or by email at festivaldeelvalle@gmail.com
If you haven’t visited the magical El Valle recently, this might be your opportunity for a relaxing and musically satisfying weekend. The area abounds with good hotels and B&B locations.