Hugh Hodgson Faculty Series presents “café music” for October recital

Anatoly Sheludyakov, resident accompanist at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, aims to transport an audience to a café of the early-mid 20th century in his Hugh Hodgson Faculty Series recital in Ramsey Concert Hall on Monday, October 17, at 8 p.m.

“Imagine yourself sitting in a café one day in a certain town from the morning until the late night,” said Sheludyakov. “This is a retrospective show of dance genres from the 1920s - 1940’s. Foxtrots, tangos, shimmies: whatever you’d hear inside an old-fashioned café or after having a well-prepared dinner.”

The program begins with the “morning music” of Sheludyakov’s day at a café. Erik Satie’s “Two Waltzes,” “La Diva de l'Empire” and “Rag-Time Parade” set the tone for the day. Erwin Schulhoff’s “Five Etudes de Jazz” follows, in which, Sheludyakov says, “the day’s color is shown.”

The café’s day music rounds out with Zez Confrey’s “Kitten on the Keys,” Schulhoff’s “Suite Dansante en Jazz” and George L. Cobb’s “Rabbit’s Foot.” 

Following intermission, the sun sets on the cafe and Astor Piazzolla and Paul Schoenfield provide the sounds of the cafe’s night.

“Definitely, the second part of the program has a ‘late-evening’ feel and darker colors,” said Sheludyakov.

Students from the Hodgson School will join Sheludyakov for this part of the performance, as well. Doctoral violin student Teresa Grynia joins Sheludyakov for Piazzolla’s Le Grand Tango for Violin and Piano. And, closing out the program, Sheludyakov will perform the concert’s namesake, Schoenfield’s “Café Music,” with Grynia and undergraduate cello student Noah Johnson.

Tickets to this performance are $12 or $6 with a UGA student ID and are available at pac.uga.edu or the UGA Performing Arts Center box office. The recital will also be streamed live on the Hodgson School’s website: music.uga.edu/streaming.

A native of Moscow, Anatoly Sheludyakov graduated from the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music. He was the winner of the 1977 Russian National Piano Competition and, in 1999, was awarded the title "Merited Artist of the Russian Federation." He has performed in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other major cities throughout Russia, Germany, France, Italy, China, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Australia and the USA.

The UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music sponsors more than 350 performances each year. To view the performance calendar, subscribe to the weekly email concert listing or learn more about the School of Music, go to music.uga.edu.