Cellist Russakovsky to perform at SFA

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Dr. Alexander Russakovsky, professor of cello and chamber music at the University of Southern Mississippi, will present a guest recital at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, in the Music Recital Hall, Wright Music Building, on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.

Russakovsky will be joined by colleague Dr. Elizabeth Moak, associate professor of piano, USM, in performing works by Johann Sebastian Bach,  Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms. Their program features Bach’s Sonata in G Minor, No. 3, BWV 1029; Beethoven’s Sonata in C Major, Op. 102, No. 1; and Brahms’ Sonata in E minor, Op. 38.

“The program includes some of the greatest works in the German cello repertoire,” Russakovsky said. “Originally written for viola da gamba and cembalo, Sonata in G minor, BWV 1029, was probably composed by J. S. Bach during his time as a cantor at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig.”

The most intimate of Beethoven's cello sonatas, Op. 102, No. 1 was completed in 1815. It contains many features typical of the composer's late period, including unconventional form, deeply probing emotional content and polyphonic texture, Russakovsky explains.

Brahms’ E minor Sonata, Op. 38 is known for its somber character. “One of the first works that Brahms wrote for a solo instrument and piano, it demonstrates recognizable characteristics of the composer’s style: Romantic expressivity that is firmly grounded in the classical form and contrapuntal techniques,” Russakovsky writes.

Russakovsky joined the music faculty of the University of Southern Mississippi in 2001. He also has served on the faculty of the Adriatic Chamber Music Festival in Bonefro, Italy, and the Violoncello Biennial in Lima, Peru. A founding member of the Jerusalem Academy String Quartet, he has performed with the group throughout Israel and Europe. Most recently, Russakovsky has given master classes and recitals in Taiwan, Israel and Latin America. He holds a master’s degree from Yale University and a doctorate in cello performance from UC Santa Barbara.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. To purchase tickets, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit finearts.sfasu.edu. For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602.