Acclaimed pianist Vadym Kholodenko to play at Nocturne XXII, MASNO’s annual gala, on Sunday, October 19, 2025
This year’s Nocturne fundraiser, again held at the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, is a chance to celebrate the magic of hearing piano in person, gathering with other music lovers and musicians, and supporting programs that help educate and nurture young pianists. In addition to the performance, Nocturne includes a festive champagne reception and a multi-course seated dinner.
Schedule of the Evening
5 p.m. – Champagne Reception
6 p.m. – Salon Concert by Vadym Kholodenko
7:30 p.m. – Seated Multi-Course Dinner
Program:
Six Études d’exécution transcendante d’après Paganini, S. 140 (original version) LISZT
No. 1 in g minor “Tremolo”: Andante non troppo e lento cantabile
No. 2 in E-flat Major “Octave”: Andantino capricciosamente
No. 3 in a-flat minor “La campanella”: Allegro moderato
No. 4 in E Major “Arpeggio”: Andante quasi allegretto
No. 5 in E major “La chasse”: Allegretto
No. 6 in a minor “Theme and variations”: Quasi presto a capriccio
Liebesleid (after Kreisler) RACHMANINOFF
Liebesfreud (after Kreisler)
Mr. Kholodenko’s performance is being underwritten by Allan Ledbetter in loving memory of Toni Ledbetter.
About Vadym Kholodenko:
Combining fierce pianism, an unrivalled breadth of repertoire, and a level of interpretative refinement that ascends to the realms of poetry, Vadym Kholodenko rises as an artist the likes of which the world has rarely seen since the great pianists of the Golden Age.
Gold Medallist of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Kholodenko’s distinguished pianism and profound artistic gifts have led to invitations from many of the world’s finest orchestras and concert halls.
The 2024/2025 season sees Kholodenko debut with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano), Filarmonica della Scala (conducted by Susanna Mälkki), Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Karina Canellakis), and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Marie Jacquot), amongst others. He also returns to such celebrated orchestras as the Indianapolis Symphony, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Other recent and forthcoming concerto highlights include those with leading orchestras of North America (Atlanta Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra); Europe (Budapest Festival Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano G. Verdi, Orquesta Nacional de España, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra); and Asia & the Far East (National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra).
Kholodenko has held the position of Artist-in-Residence with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (Texas, USA), and the SWR Symphonieorchester (Stuttgart, Germany). He is Artist-in-Residence at London’s Bechstein Hall – a state-of-the-art new chamber music venue – in its inaugural season (2024/2025).
Kholodenko has forged strong musical partnerships with many of the world’s leading conductors, including Karina Canellakis, Myung-Whun Chung, Christoph Eschenbach, Iván Fischer, Marie Jacquot, Cristian Măcelaru, Susanna Mälkki, Gemma New, Sir Antonio Pappano, Dima Slobodeniouk, Thomas Søndergård, Krzyzstof Urbański, and Kazuki Yamada, amongst others.
In recital, Kholodenko appears on the world’s leading stages – from London, Paris, and Vienna, to Boston, Chicago, and New York – where he is praised for his “iron-clad technique, capable of moments of crystalline delicacy” (The Guardian). He is also a thoughtful and committed chamber musician, enjoying rewarding collaborations with an array of such artists as Clara Jumi-Kang, Anastasia Kobekina, Vadim Repin, and the Belcea and Jerusalem string quartets. He has made numerous recordings with violinist Alena Baeva, with whom recent and forthcoming appearances include concerts in the cultural capitals of Florence, London, and Paris.
Possessing an extraordinary facility for the assimilation of music, the sheer scale of Kholodenko’s knowledge and command of the piano literature is unrivalled, and he holds a vast array of active repertoire. His discography to date encompasses solo piano works by a diverse list of composers (J.S. Bach, Balakirev, Beethoven, Chaplygin, Kurbatov, Liszt, Medtner, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Rzewski, Schubert, Scriabin, Siloti, Stravinsky, and Tchaikovsky, amongst others). Recordings for the Harmonia Mundi record label include the Grieg Piano Concerto, Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No.2, and the complete cycle of Prokofiev’s piano concertos.
Kholodenko’s recordings have been described as “truly outstanding” (Gramophone Magazine), and received such accolades as Editor’s Choice Award (BBC Music Magazine), and the much-coveted Diapason d’Or de l’année. His latest release – a pairing of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations and Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated! for the Quartz Music label (2022) – met with tremendous critical acclaim, described as “carefully contoured and impactful” (BBC Music Magazine), and “playing that pulls no punches: Kholodenko is in the elite of classical pianists” (Norman Lebrecht, for The Critic).
Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, Vadym Kholodenko took his first piano lessons at the age of six, and began touring internationally at thirteen years old. He was educated at the Kyiv Lysenko State Music Lyceum and the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, under the renowned pedagogues Natalia Gridneva, Borys Fedorov, and Vera Gornostaeva. He won First Prize at the Sendai International Piano Competition (2010) and Schubert International Piano Competition (2011), before taking the Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (2013). He is now resident in Luxembourg.
Sponsors & Partners
NOCTURNE XXII is presented with support from Beth & Leo Landry, Lexus of New Orleans, Richard Goula and the Thistlewood Foundation, Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, Steinway & Sons, Steinway Piano Gallery of New Orleans, Anne and Darren Sumich, Victoria Z Photography, Terry and Rand Voorhies, The Wine Seller, WWNO 89.9 Classical 104.9 FM & the WWNO Classical Network.
Room Reservations
Special room rates at the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans are available for the evening of October 19. Deadline to reserve is September 19.
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