Russian-American pianist Constantine Finehouse, praised for “interpretations of depth and maturity,” has recently released his third album, Backwards Glance, pairing solo piano works of Johannes Brahms and Richard Beaudoin. His upcoming CD with cellist Sebastian Baverstam will feature music of Franck, Shostakovich and Schemmer. The main focus of the current and the upcoming concert seasons are recitals of works by Chopin and Schumann, celebrating their bicentennials. 2010 will also see the release of the first in a series of six CD‘s on Naxos Records of the complete solo piano music of William Bolcom.

“Backwards Glance” : The music of both Johannes Brahms and Richard Beaudoin glances back at the old masters. Brahms re-shaped classical forms with his progressive harmony and phraseology; Beaudoin re-casts romantic lines, often layering quotes from the old masters while creating decidedly modern forms. Constantine Finehouse’s new recording weaves these two composers together, illustrating the vitality and interconnectivity within classical tradition. This new studio album from Constantine Finehouse is now available for purchase.

Pianist Yuko Izuhara-Gordon gave her New York debut at Alice Tully Hall with the Juilliard Symphony under the baton of Otto Werner Muller, which established her as one of today’s most accomplished young pianists. Ms. Izuhara-Gordon was honored with the prestigious NHK and Nomura awards. She is a first prize winner at the All-Japan National Student Competition, Toho Gakuen School of Music Concerto Competition, The Juilliard School Concerto Competition, as well as a third prize winner at the Città di Cantù International Piano Competition.

Ms. Izuhara-Gordon’s early studies were with her mother and later with Baruch Arnon, a professor at The Juilliard School. In Japan, she attended the Toho Gakuen School of Music as a student of Michiko Okamoto and Hidemitsu Hayashi. In 2002 and 2003 she was the sole recipient from Japan of a coveted education grant from the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs. The grant fully funded Ms. Izuhara-Gordon’s studies at the Juilliard School where she received BM and MM degrees under the tutelage of Joseph Kalichstein and Yoheved Kaplinsky.