Hailed for his “breathtaking virtuosity and an intelligent sense of precisely what brings music to life,” Swedish-American pianist Elias-Axel Pettersson is quickly establishing himself as a formidable soloist and chamber musician.
The late Ralph Berkowitz wrote “…he is a rare musician who can project his ideas from the piano directly into the hearts and minds of his audience.”
Pettersson is a Mason & Hamlin Concert Artist and has garnered prizes on the national and international level. He has been heard on national (USA) radio through KHFM and KUNM. His performance of Liszt’s Concerto No. 1 was highly praised, and his continued work with violinist David Felberg and Sunday Chatter has won him accolades. Pettersson performed the world premiere of New Mexican composer Michael Mauldin’s Petroglyph for Piano (2011) and champions works by contemporary composers such as Arnaud Allary, Alan Belkin, Todd Coleman, Alvin Curran, Drea Pressley Tischhauser, Ben Shemie, and Altin Volaj. Pettersson has collaborated with various artists, including Krzysztof Zimowski, David Felberg, Guillaume Tardif, Nune Melikyan, Henk Guittart, Emmanuelle Da Silva, and Cantor Josh Perlman.
While in town, Pettersson will be conducting master classes with local piano students. For information, contact Shelley Roberts at (250) 923-7658.
On Saturday, Jan. 25, Pettersson will perform at the Trinity Presbyterian Church (on Simms Road) at 2:30 p.m. in a concert sponsored by the Campbell River Friends of Music. His program will consist of music from Mozart, Gershwin, Liszt and Chopin. Tickets can be purchased by calling (250) 923-6268, or at the Visitor Information Center and can also be purchased at the door: $20 (adults) and $10 (students).