Featuring pianist Marina Lomazov

Augusta Symphony Music Director Donald Portnoy leads the orchestra in a Masterworks concert on Saturday, March 21. Acclaimed pianist Marina Lomazov performs Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in a concert honoring longtime friend and colleague, Maestro Donald Portnoy. The orchestra performs Glinka’s Russlan and Ludmilla Overture and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. The evening’s performance marks one of the final two Masterworks concerts Maestro Portnoy conducts in his final season as Music Director of the Augusta Symphony. The 7:30 p.m. concert is at First Baptist of Augusta.

Tickets are $25, $40 and $50 and can be purchased online at HUwww.augustasymphony.orgUH or by calling 706.826.4705. Tickets may also be purchased at the concert box office beginning at 6:30 p.m. on concert evening. Full-time students and military personnel with valid I.D. can purchase $7 tickets on concert night only, subject to availability.

Donald Portnoy, Music Director
Music Director of the Augusta Symphony since 1991, Maestro Donald Portnoy announced in August 2007 that he would step down from the podium at the conclusion of the 2008-09 concert season. Only the second Music Director in the Augusta Symphony’s history, Maestro Portnoy’s leadership has been integral to the growth and success of the Augusta Symphony, developing the musicians into the second largest professional orchestra outside of Atlanta. His myriad accomplishments include the initiation of the UPops! at the Bell SeriesU, the Sunday afternoon series of UFamily Fun ConcertsU, and various outreach programs including Music to the People. For many years, Maestro Portnoy has been the face of the Augusta Symphony, a valued and honored community member and leader whose talent, expertise and vision have made an indelible mark on the Augusta Symphony. Maestro Portnoy conducts the final two Masterworks concerts in March and April and concludes the season with the Pops! Under the Stars performance in May.

Marina Lomazov, Pianist
Praised by the critics as “a diva of the piano” (The Salt Lake City Tribune) and “simply spectacular” (International Music Foundation Website), dynamic Ukrainian-American pianist Marina Lomazov has established herself as one of the most passionate and charismatic performers on the concert scene today. Her performances in North and South Americas, Europe, Japan, and Russia have prompted several reviewers to call her “one of the best young pianists in America today.” Ms. Lomazov has performed with the Boston Pops, South Carolina Philharmonic, and the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, among others. She holds degrees from The Juilliard School and the Eastman School of Music, where she was awarded the coveted Artist’s Certificate, an honor not bestowed upon a pianist for nearly two decades. Currently, Ms. Lomazov is an Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of South Carolina School of Music and is also the Artistic Director of the Southeastern Piano Festival.

Visit www.marinalomazov.com for more information about Marina Lomazov. For interview requests, contact jda@pocketmail.com.

The Masterworks USeries sponsor Uis MCGHealth. Concert Sponsors for the evening’s performance are Jean and John Chase. Media Sponsors are AT&T The Real Yellow Pages, Georgia Public Broadcasting and The Augusta Chronicle.

For more information about the Augusta Symphony, visit www.augustasymphony.org, call 706.826.4705 or email office@augustasymphony.org. Located on the second floor of Sacred Heart Cultural Center, the Symphony office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.