NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

2/20/2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES- Ana Palanciuc may have an idea what composer Sergei Prokofiev was feeling when he wrote his "Piano Concerto No. 1" which she will perform with the Natchitoches ­ Northwestern Symphony Orchestra Thursday, Feb. 27. Charles Demuynck is the conductor.

Palanciuc is performing with the orchestra after winning the NSU Concerto Competition last fall.

"Prokofiev wrote it when he was 18. He was full of life and you can hear the life in the piece," said Palanciuc. "He was so happy. In the piece, he was also sarcastic. He makes fun of his teacher and conductor.

I chose it because it will be very good in helping me develop my technical abilities. I can learn from it. Since it is only 20 minutes long, it will be a good work to perform with the orchestra."

Palanciuc said she first heard "Piano Concerto No. 1" on a recording with the Moldavian Symphony Orchestra in her native Moldavia when she was in seventh grade.

"I was very impressed and started loving the piece," she said. "It makes a difference that I am about the same age he was when he wrote it. I will try to play it the way he would play it and bring it back to life."

Prokofiev was quite bold when he first performed the work at a music competition, said Palanciuc.

"He was told to play a classical concerto, but Prokofiev said he would perform his own work," said Palanciuc. "No one knew what he would perform. What he did was against the will of all his teachers. I want people to hear that."

Palanciuc performed with the Moldavian Symphony Orchestra last May and may perform with that orchestra again.

"It was a great experience. I had always heard the orchestra but never dreamed I would get to play with them," she said. "I had watched so many artists perform with them and never knew I would have that chance."

According to Palanciuc, working with the professional musicians in the Moldavian Symphony was a bit intimidating at first.

"It was different playing with my country's symphony. They had played with so many classical pianists," she said. "They knew the piece I was performing and knew the difference between a good performance and a bad one. They are very critical in their listening. I was nervous for the first rehearsal, but I gained confidence and it went well."

Performing with a group of her peers in the Natchitoches ­ Northwestern Symphony will not be as intimidating, but standards will still be high.

"This is also a new piece for the orchestra," said Palanciuc. "This will be very helpful to me. It will help me overcome my emotions. The more I perform with an orchestra the better."

Palanciuc is in her second semester at Northwestern. She is one of several talented pianists studying under NSU Assistant Professor of Piano Dr. Nikita Fitenko. That group includes a number of international students. She said the students are competitive but work well together.

"When I won, I was competing against my best friends," said Palanciuc. "Everyone is good, but it makes us all work harder. When one person learns a new piece, everyone else starts learning it. We spend more time practicing. Each of us helps the others."

The orchestra will also perform Schubert's "Symphony No. 3" and "Nabucco" by Verdi.

Tickets are $10. Admission is free for NSU students and subscription members of the Natchitoches ­ Northwestern Symphony Society.

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