Jamaican concert pianist Orrett Rhoden will perform at the University Chapel at the University of the West Indies, Mona, next Monday.
Rhoden is launching his Double Souvenir Discs and will be giving one of his always highly anticipated piano recitals. The recital willfeature works from his recent recording done at the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City on September 25.
The Double Souvenir Discs, dedicated to the memory of his beloved grandmother, Ida Lindo, also features Rhoden's firstalbumrecorded in London inthe summer of 1986. That album was released by Academy Sound and Vision in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe.
In that recording, Rhoden performs Brahms' colossal 25 Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel and selected works by Chopin.
targeting younger audience
Rhoden's decision to re-release this recording, along with his recent New York recording, is an attempt to provide a younger audience with examples of hisimaginative interpretations, which were in the 1980s received controversially by the British press.
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"Although it still is my favourite recording to date, I am equally excited about my recent New York recordings, which I think will also send shock waves across the classical music world," said Rhoden.
Affectionately nicknamed 'Rhodenowsky' by his colleagues and friends, Rhoden has led a very colourful life and has certainly brought a newzest to the world of classical music. His almost fairy-tale route to success came when he was invited by the then Prime Minister Edward Seaga to provide background music while the visiting Queen Elizabeth IIand her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh,toured historic Devon House, in Kingston, in 1983.Rhoden was then featuredin two documentaries produced by BBC's Jenny Barracloughon the Royal visit and, subsequently, was selected to perform a major piano concerto with the London Symphony in October 1984. Later he toured much of the major centres, mandatory for all budding concert pianists.
While performing in concerts or on radio or television in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Mexico, Canada and his homeland Jamaica, Rhoden's masterly interpretations of the concert repertoire have always been an eye-opener. His honesty and sincerity, though,can never be questioned, as he always tries to be faithful to the composers' original intentions, yet effortlessly brings new light to 'old' pieces.
Rhoden will perform works by the Italian Baroque composer Galuppi, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Ravel, Chopin and Bob Marley.
The Double Souvenir Discs will also be officially launched, and go on sale following the November 14 recital.
