Tickets on Sale Now!
Get your tickets now to experience the power of Behzod Abduraimov in solo recital at the Folly Theater! Called “the most perfectly accomplished pianist of his generation,” Behzod’s captivating performances continue to receive international praise. Having soloed with leading orchestras worldwide, he is also an award-winning recording artist. Don’t miss your chance to see him in Kansas City performing works by Maurice Ravel, Sergei Rachmaninof, Sergei Prokofiev and more.
Program includes:
César FRANCK/Harold BAUER – Prélude, Fugue et Variation, Op. 18
Dilorom SAIDAMINOVA – The Walls of Ancient Bukhara (1973)
Maurice RAVEL – Gaspard de la nuit
Sergei RACHMANINOV – Selected Preludes
Sergei PROKOFIEV – Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75
Program subject to change.
Or contact The Folly box office at 816-474-4444, or email contact@follytheater.org
Amidst a bustling cityscape and its friendly Midwest hospitality, Kansas City has carved a niche as a cultural hub that continues to attract the most remarkable talents from across the globe. One such artist is none other than Behzod Abduraimov, the Uzbek piano virtuoso, who has been calling Kansas City his home since the age of 16.
Born September 11, 1990, Behzod left his family in Tashkent, Uzbekistan to come study at the newly developed International Center for Music at Park University under Van Cliburn gold medalist Stanislav Ioudenitch. “It was the best decision I ever made,” said Abduraimov. “I met Stanislav Ioudenitch and after some complications I was able to play for him. And I played as fast as I could and as loud as I could. And then Stanislav said, ‘Well we have a lot of work to do.’”
And work they did. Abduraimov went on to win the gold medal in the London International Piano Competition in 2009 which put him on the classical music map. Then, following his debut success at Carnegie Hall in 2015, Abduraimov signed with Harrison Parrott management and suddenly was on a meteoric rise to stardom.
These days, Abduraimov performs with leading orchestras worldwide, such as the Boston Symphony, the LA Philharmonic, Mariinsky Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and so many others. This past November, he performed one of the most difficult piano concertos written with our hometown Kansas City Symphony and the very next week performed the same piece with one of the great orchestras of the world, the Cleveland Orchestra . . . both to rave reviews. Speaking of reviews and accolades, The New York Times has called him the “master of all he surveys” and has said that “Behzod Abduraimov has the magic touch.” Also an award-winning recording artist, Abduraimov’s most recent album, “Debussy, Chopin, Mussorgsky” was released in January 2021 by Alpha Classics and reached the “10 Classical Albums you must hear” by Apple Music. In the 2022-2023 performance season alone, Abduraimov has performed nearly 100 concerts in cities throughout the world.
Behzod always enjoys coming back to his home in Kansas City where he now serves as the Park International Center for Music’s Artist-in-Residence.
It also means that Kansas City audiences get the yearly chance to experience his “immense depth of musicality with phenomenal technique and breath-taking delicacy” for themselves. This year’s concert will be held May 11th in the C. Stephen Metzler Hall at the Folly Theater. What a treat to have such superstar musicians as Behzod Abduraimov and Stanislav Ioudenitch call Kansas City home. We’re looking forward to witnessing the amazing technique that made him a star. See you at The Folly on May 11th!
