Svetlana Gorokhovich, who has appeared at major concert halls throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, is winner of the International Bartok-Kabalevsky Piano Competition and the IBLA International Competition in Italy. Named to a “select circle” of pianists by The New York Times, Irena Portenko was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. Her career as a soloist has included playing concerti of both Schumann and Brahms, in one evening, accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. The program includes Waltzes of Johannes Brahms from Opus 39, and a transcription of the Beethoven Symphony No. 1.
This concert is made possible, in part, with the generous support of Nancy Goodman, Robert Heath, and Linda Laemle.
Svetlana Gorokhovich is an internationally recognized pianist and a prolific recording musician. Her performances have taken place at major concert halls in the USA, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, the Caribbean, Iceland, and Italy. Svetlana’s wide range of musical abilities makes her highly attractive as a soloist and chamber music partner. As a highly demanded chamber musician, Svetlana participated in international music festivals in Holland, Germany, Italy, and New York from 2005 to 2014.
Her latest performances include recitals in Zankel Hall, Weill Recital Hall, and Ridotto Music Series. Svetlana’s most recent recording with cellist Misha Quint, “Tempo Trapezio,” was released in 2014 on Blue Griffin label. “One Piano Four Hands” was released in 2012 by SMH Records. In 2010, Volshebnik Productions released “Valse Sentimentale,” recorded with cellist Misha Quint. Between 1991-1996, Svetlana worked with internationally acclaimed violinist Dmitri Berlinsky, touring worldwide. Their unique recording of Russian chamber music compositions, Souvenir D’un Lieu Cher (Helicon), released in 1997, received enthusiastic reviews. Ms. Gorokhovich is a winner of the International Bartok-Kabalevsky Piano Competition at Radford University (1997) and the IBLA International Competition in Italy (1999). Her solo recital at Carnegie Hall in 2000 was highly acclaimed by the New York Concert Review. Today, Ms. Gorokhovich continues her busy recital schedule; she is also a highly sought-after teacher and coach. She is on the piano faculty of the Music Conservatory of Westchester, White Plains, New York.
Ukrainian-born Irena Portenko first displayed love and talent for the piano at age three and by age eight, debuted as soloist with the Ukrainian National Orchestra, performing Haydn's Concerto in D Major. Since then, Ms. Portenko’s spectacular and multifaceted career has flourished in the distinguished array of concerto performances, with the most recent one, in December 2017, as she has performed two Concerti by R. Schumann and by J. Brahms (No 2) in one evening, accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. Her newest recording, featuring music by Michigan composers, has been dedicated to the University of Michigan’s 200th anniversary in 2017. Ever since Portenko graduated with Master’s and Doctorate in Musical Arts (1998, 2004, respectively) and with Doctorate in Collaborative Piano from National Ukrainian Academy of Music (1998), she has retained a motto "Be free to teach, to serve, to probe the unknown” that became an inspiration and essence of her further professional journey, consisting of numerous recitals, festival appearances and recognitions at international competition, that has garnered impressive accolades from both audiences and critics throughout Europe and North America, granting her a career of international status. In 2009, upon an invitation from Artists International, Ms. Portenko gave a critically acclaimed debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, featuring a performance of Frédéric Chopin’s complete 24 Études, prompting Anthony Tommasini, reporting for the New York Times, to write: “Ms. Portenko pulled off a feat that puts her in a select company.”