Rudnytsky enchants Saipan once more with his music

  Critically acclaimed international pianist Roman Rudnytsky graced the island once more with his exceptional talent, performing Sunday at the Pacific Islands Club’s Charley’s Cabaret for a Friends of the Arts production dubbed “An Evening of Magical Music.”

Rudnytsky’s repertoire featured powerful renditions of Sonata in F by Ludwig van Beethoven; Nocturne in C sharp minor by Fryderyk Chopin; Venus, the Bringer of Peace by Gustav Holst; Molly on the Shore by Percy Grainger; Jackaroo-Toccata for the Piano by Neil Goodchild; Sonata in B Flat by Muzio Clementi; Estampes, Pagodes, Soiree dans Grenade, Jardins sous la pluie by Claude Debussy; and Grand Galop Chromatique Sonetto del Petrarca No. 123 Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 by Franz Liszt.

Watching Rudnytsky play was magic in itself. His fingers would stroke the keys swiftly yet smoothly and ever so delicately, filling the air with amazingly beautiful music. In between his program, Rudnytsky would describe the featured composition, adding in a little bit of trivia about the work and the composer behind it.

The program concluded with a standing ovation.

“What a wonderful program. He never fails to disappoint. He’s come with his program and obviously, he’s a magnificent performer,” said Susan Fishman-Tudor, FOA president, who also described Rudnytsky as “a nice man, kind, generous, and tireless.”

She added, “To entertain people of this caliber, you need support or you just need a man like Roman.”

Following his show and autograph signing, Rudnytsky recounted in an interview how it felt like being back on the island he first visited about two decades ago.

“I always thought it’s just one of the nicest, loveliest islands so every time I come here, I’ve enjoyed being here. This is the fifth time now and this is actually the longest time because I’m here for two weeks,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Rudnytsky’s visit is part of his Micronesian tour. He had just visited Guam and is scheduled to go to Kwajalein, Roi-Namur, and Majuro.

Rudnytsky, who arrived two Sundays ago, has already spent time with public school students from Marianas High School, Saipan Southern High School, and Kagman High School. Today, he is scheduled to fly to Tinian to meet with students there as well.

“It was very nice,” he shared. “The students were extremely attentive. They were very quiet; they listened well. I think 95 percent of them were hearing a classical piano for the first time ever.”

Asked why he wanted to meet with the students, Rudnytsky said he wants to inspire and bring good music to these young minds.

“There’s an old cliché saying music is the universal language. And it is. It really is. It brings people together, it unites people and I think that to make music in whatever way, it brings something satisfying to you as a person if you do it and it brings pleasure and joy to whoever is listening to you. I think it’s important for young people to have exposure to that,” he explained.

Born to a musical family from Ukraine, the American-born Rudnytsky began to study the piano at the age of 4 and gave his first full recital at 7. He graduated from the renowned Juilliard School in New York, pursued higher studies at the Peabody Conservatory in Maryland, and did master classes in Austria and Italy.

“I never decided to play the piano. I always say the piano found me because my father started me when I was 4 years old. I showed that I had a perfect pitch even before that,” he revealed.

According to Rudnytsky, people tend to “shy away” from classical music because they have a preconceived notion of what it is.

“I think that the more you listen, the more you know.Once they hear it, they see something which is enjoyable, which has passed the test of time, something which can give them a lot of pleasure. But they have to hear it,” he said.

Rudnytsky, who has performed in over 95 countries and “been to more than that,” said he would have been in the travel industry if he were not a pianist.

“I enjoy traveling. It’s part of what I do,” he said, adding that he has been to “very unusual places” in the world like Timbuktu and Easter Island.

Rudnytsky underscored that he would want his audience to have a sense of something meaningful after hearing his music.

“I hope that they will gain more and more just by listening to more good music or good art of any kind. I hope that they will gain something very meaningful in their lives for it. Take every opportunity to do that.It will give you some kind of meaning and will elevate you and enrich you. That’s what I hope for them,” he added.