The Musical Talents of Ivo Kaltchev

McDaniel Lounge was delighted by the musical talents of Ivo Kaltchev the evening of March 27. Kaltchev, a pianist, played an array of musical compositions ranging from the Classical period up to the 20th century for an eager audience in the concert Ivo Kaltchev, piano.

The program for the evening consisted of compositions by Soler, Beethoven, Debussy, and Vladiguerov. In within each piece, Kaltchev provided a synopsis of the composer’s career, as well as the time period of the composition.

Although the music itself was incredibly pleasurable, Kaltchev managed to enhance all of the pieces with his stylistic choices and his ability to play all of the pieces without the aid of music scores, which surprised most members of the audience.

Ivo Kaltchev performing on March 27

Ivo Kaltchev performing on March 27.

“He’s truly an outstanding pianist,” states Dr. Motard-Noar, professor of French at McDaniel.

Marklin Yi, a young member of the audience explains, “I found [the concert] interesting. The pieces were exciting and emotional.”

A prizewinner of international piano competitions, as well as co-Director and co-Founder of the Washington International Piano Festival, Kaltchev have participated in multiple music festivals across the world. He has also collaborated with famous ensembles, among them the New York Metropolitan Opera, the Boston Symphony, and the National Symphony Orchestra, though the list of collaborations continues.

The event was sponsored by McDaniel College Department of Music and Carroll County Music Teachers Association. Upcoming concerts at McDaniel College include the Student Jazz Guitar Emsemble on April 7 at 7:00 pm in Little Baker Chapel and the College Choir Concert: “Distant Visions” on April 26 at 7 p.m. in Big Baker Memorial Chapel.