Portland Ovations Brings British Pianist Benjamin Grosvenor to Merrill Auditorium for an Evening Concert

Portland, Maine - Portland Ovations presents British pianist, Benjamin Grosvenor at Merrill Auditorium on Friday, February 7th at 8 pm.

Benjamin Grosvenor began playing the piano at the age of 6 and first came to prominence as the outstanding winner of the Keyboard Final of the 2004 BBC Young Musician Competition at the age of eleven. Since then, he has become an internationally regarded pianist for his electrifying performances and penetrating interpretations. An exquisite technique and ingenious flair for tonal colour are the hallmarks that make Benjamin Grosvenor one of the most sought-after young pianists in the world today. His virtuosic command over the most strenuous technical complexities never compromises the formidable depth and intelligence of his interpretations. Bryce Morrison of Gramophone Magazine calls Benjamin Grosvenor a "skill and talent not heard since Kissin's teenage Russian debut," Benjamin Grosvenor is renowned for his distinctive sound, described by The Independent as, "poetic and gently ironic, brilliant yet clear-minded, intelligent but not without humour, all translated through a beautifully clear and singing touch."

Benjamin Grosvenor's Portland Ovations program will include; Mendelssohn's Andante & Rondo capriccioso Op. 14, Schubert's Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90, No. 3, Schumann's Humoreske, Op.20, Medtner's 2 Fairy Tales, Ravel's Valses nobles et sentimentales and Gounod and Liszt's Valse de Faust.

Ovations Offstage offers a pre-performance lecture at 7 pm in the rehearsal hall at Merrill Auditorium, Why the Piano Reigns Supreme with Laura Kargul discussing why over the course of the last 300 years most of the great composers have placed the keyboard front and center in their lives and output. As well as looking at the many hats the piano wears, explaining why it has figured so prominently for so long, and demonstrate with examples drawn from solo, chamber, concerto and vocal repertoire.

Tickets for Benjamin Grosvenor are $35 for Ovations' Members, $38 for the general public and a limited amount of $10 student tickets are also available. Support for the Benjamin Grosvenor performance is provided by the Maine Humanities Council, The Maine Arts Commission and the Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust. To purchase tickets, visit www.portlandovations.org, call PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.