The evening’s program includes Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Ginastera, Chopin, Kenji Bunch and Bach/Busoni. Seating is limited.
Watch Kevin Ahfat perform “Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36” by Rachmaninoff:
Kevin Ahfat
As a pianist that “leaves no question about his riveting presentation and technical finesse” (Seattle Times), Ahfat is an artist recognized for his deeply passionate and highly compelling performances, possessing “a balanced mix of expressiveness and virtuosity” (Musical America). He has appeared as a multi-faceted solo and chamber artist at venues nationally and internationally, most notably at Boettcher Hall in Denver, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Ikeda Theater in Arizona, Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York, and Japan’s Fumin Hall in Kyoto.
Mr. Ahfat has appeared with numerous orchestras across the United States, including the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra, and Arapahoe Philharmonic. He has appeared as guest artist at the Breckenridge Music Festival, Colorado International Piano Festival, Southeastern Piano Festival, and Kyoto International Music Festival. Throughout the years, Mr. Ahfat has had the privilege of performing and collaborating with artists such as Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Joshua Roman, Paul Katz, Ani Kavafian, Ludovic Morlot, Jeffrey Milarsky, and the Juilliard String Quartet.
Mr. Ahfat has garnered numerous awards in many national and international competitions, among those being top prizes at the Juilliard Concerto Competition, 5th Schimmel International Piano Competition, Steinway & Sons Concerto Competition, the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, and the Arthur Fraser and Eastman International Piano Competitions. Recently, Mr. Ahfat captured the First Prize at the inaugural Seattle Symphony International Piano Competition in partnership with Young Concert Artists & Washington Performing Arts in 2015.
Currently, Mr. Ahfat is continuing his studies at the Juilliard School in New York under the tutelage of Mr. Joseph Kalichstein and Mr. Stephen Hough after having previously studied with Mr. Choong-Mo Kang, as well as with Dr. Lei Weng and Larry Graham. As chamber artist, he has coached with Itzhak Perlman, Joseph Lin, Vivian Weilerstein, Catherine Cho, David Finckel, and Seymour Lipkin.
Mr. Ahfat has spent summers working with artists such as Arie Vardi, Stephen Hough, Jonathan Biss, and Jeremy Denk at the Bowdoin, PianoTexas, Perlman Music Program Chamber Workshop, Pianofest Hamptons, and Music Academy of the West festivals where he received the Hyon Chough Full Scholarship in Solo Piano. He has also performed for numerous world-renowned artists including Leon Fleisher, Alan Gilbert, Olga Kern, and Richard Goode.
At Juilliard, Mr. Ahfat holds the Rhea Cloe and Carl Cloe Memorial Scholarship, the Herbert Stessin Piano Scholarship, and the Susan W. Rose Piano Fellowship. In addition, he is actively involved in community outreach initiatives, and has worked with the Music Advancement Program at Juilliard and was a mentor and coach for the MERIT Outreach Program at the Music Academy of the West. He is a 2015-16 Artist of the Young Musicians Foundation of Colorado and is especially grateful for their support. Learn more on his website: kevinahfat.com.
