The Victoria Symphony is flying in a pianist from Moscow at the last minute, after headliner Anna Fedorova withdrew days before its season-opening concert.
Honens Prize laureate Pavel Kolesnikov will perform Rachmaninoff’s 3rd piano concerto in place of Fedorova, who injured her hand.
“She had a hand injury and has been advised by her physician not to play,” said Jill Smillie, director of marketing for the Victoria Symphony.
The concerts are Monday at 8 p.m. at the Royal Theatre in Victoria, as well as Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Cowichan Theatre. The concert in Duncan is presented by the Cowichan Symphony Society.
Finding someone available who has the challenging piece in his or her repertoire was difficult, Smillie said. The piece, made famous by actor Geoffrey Rush in the film Shine, typically requires months of preparation.
“If it’s not in a pianist’s repertoire, it’s tough to take it on,” she said. “A lot of people play it, but are not prepared to play it live.”
Kolesnikov, who was born in Siberia, performed the piece this February with the Calgary Philharmonic. At the time, he described it as “climbing Mount Everest.”
This will be his second live performance of the piece.
Both concerts will also include Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, as previously planned.
It is unusual for the Victoria Symphony to make a last-minute programming change, but has occurred in the past in cases of illness or injury, Smillie said.
Tickets and ticket exchanges are available at 250-385-6515 or victoriasymphony.ca.