MATT DINE
ARTS&LIFE MUSIC
Maxim Lando
Pianist Among Pianists Young Artist Award-winner Maxim Lando to play at the Gilmore International Piano Festival in Kalamazoo.
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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Details
Maxim Lando will be performing at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 15, at Chenery Auditorium in Kalamazoo. Zaide Pixley, adjunct professor of music at Kalamazoo College, will give a free concert preview at 3 p.m. In-person tickets: $7-$65; virtual tickets: pay what you can. For more information on this program as well as all the others, go to thegilmore.org.
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MAY 5 • 2022
axim Lando, in 2020, believed he was getting a scam call when hearing he won a $25,000 Young Artist Award given by the Gilmore International Piano Festival in Kalamazoo. The award is presented to go along with the biennial entertainment event and, in the same year, is received by two pianists age 22 and younger. It allots $15, 000 toward career and educational development and $10,000 toward a new piano commission. Winners also are invited to showcase their talents among programming that features world-renowned musicians. “It was the greatest phone call of my life,” said Lando, 19, a first-year Juilliard student and one of 38 to receive the award since 1990. “I knew the award existed but not that I was nominated [as is the practice of the anonymous selection committee].” Lando, happy to appear this year because the 2020 festival was canceled due to the pandemic, will be featured with orchestra and other young awardees for the event finale, on May 15. He hopes he will have time to watch live performances spotlighting diverse guest artists, from classical notables to jazz stylists. This year’s lineup includes Emanuel Ax, Igor Levit, Kirill Gerstein, Jonathan Biss, Fred Hersch and Emmet Cohen. It started April 24 with digital viewing opportunities. “It’s great that there are so many different types of acts,” said Lando, pointing out that Canadian jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall also will be appearing.
