The Frederick Symphony Orchestra will be playing with accomplished piano soloist Rachel Franklin in the first Masterworks concert of the year, Moscow On The Monocacy, on Oct. 21, 2017, at Jack B. Kussmaul Theater in Frederick Community College (FCC).
This will be Franklin’s third appearance with the Frederick Symphony Orchestra, and she’s “delighted to be returning under the baton of Maestro Glenn Quader.” She will be performing Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor.
The British-born pianist studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School in Stoke d’Abernon, England; the Royal College of Music in London; and Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv University in Jerusalem, where she won first prize in the school’s piano competition and received highest honors upon graduation.
Her teachers included Louis Kentner, Irina Zaritskaya, and Ann Schein, with whom she gained her Doctorate of Musical Arts at Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
She’s also won top prize the Florence International Chamber Music Competition in Florence, Italy, and the Louise B. McMahon International Music Competition.
As a Pro Musicis International Award winner who gave her solo debuts at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York City and Jordan Hall in Boston, her reputation precedes her.
The Boston Globe raved about Franklin’s “beautiful differentiations of color, touch, and texture” and described her solo debut CD performance as “not inferior…to the recorded performances by [Franco-Swiss pianist Alfred] Cortot and [American-Polish classical pianist Arthur] Rubinstein.”
The Washington Post praised her “cool-headed bravura and panache,” while the Baltimore Sun lauded “a flawless crystalline technique and warmth and electricity to her playing.”
As a soloist and ensemble artist, Franklin has concertized throughout Great Britain, Canada, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and the United States. Her international resume includes European Pro Musicis solo debuts in Paris and Rome and a performance at Wigmore Hall in London where critics applauded her “stunning individuality”, “exquisite dynamic control”, and “amazing power and solidity of technique.”
She has also performed on BBC Radio 3 in London, Raidió Teilifís Éireann in Ireland, WQXR and WNYC in New York City, and WJHU in Baltimore. After being featured on NPR’s Performance Today, she gave frequent spoken broadcasts about her deep commitment to musical outreach and education.
Franklin also enjoys her busy career as a popular music speaker, masterclass teacher, and competition judge for aspiring musicians. She’s lectured for prestigious venues including the following:
- Annapolis Symphony Orchestra in Annapolis
- Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
- Peabody Conservatory
- The Royal College of Music
- The Smithsonian Associate Program in D.C.
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Recently, she created several lecture series on film music that have generated great enthusiasm and gave a sold-out presentation on the subject for the Easton Academy Art Museum in Easton and the Chesapeake Film Festival on the Eastern Shore.
A prestigious grant by the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County enabled Franklin to continue her music education outreach mission. She built a unique video blog, Speaking of Music, and maintains a private studio in Silver Spring.
She’s also an accomplished jazz pianist, performing with her own classical/jazz chamber ensemble, SONOS. Other recent successes include concertos with the following groups:
- Amadeus Orchestra in Great Falls, Virginia
- Annapolis Symphony Orchestra
- Arlington Philharmonic in Arlington, Virginia
- Columbia Orchestra in Ellicott City
- Piedmont Symphony Orchestra in Warrenton, Virginia
- Symphony of the Potomac in Silver Spring
- Washington Sinfonietta in Falls Church, Virginia
Check out Rachel Franklin and the rest of the Frederick Symphony Orchestra in next month’s concert, Moscow On The Monocacy, at Jack B. Kussmaul Theater in FCC. Click on the button below for ticket and seating information: