Virtuosic trumpeter Paul Merkelo will present “From Russia With Love,” a recital on Oklahoma City University’s Distinguished Artists Series, at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, in Petree Recital Hall at the Bass School of Music.
Serving as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra’s principal trumpet for the past 30 years, Merkelo has been praised for his “unusual lyrical gifts” by Gramophone and for performances of “pure beauty...virtuosity and eloquence...mastery and sensitivity" by Ultra High Fidelity.
Sunday’s program will include Rodion Shchedrin's Im stile von Albania, Reinhold Glière's Concerto for Coloratura Soprano, Dmitri Shostakovich's "Folk Festival," Alexander Scriabin's Nocturne in Db and Oskar Böhme's Liebeslied. The concert finale will be Modeste Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," arranged and performed by collaborative pianist Rebecca Wilt.
Tickets are $15 adults; $5 with any student ID; free with Bass School ID. Tickets available by calling (405) 208-5227 or online at okcu.edu/tickets.
Merkelo also will lead a free master class with OCU students from 4-6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, in the Bass Music Center’s Medium Rehearsal Hall.
OCU’s Distinguished Artists Series continues with the Dutch-based Olga Vocal Ensemble making its Oklahoma debut at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, and the Russian violin-piano duo Grigory Kalinovsky and Tatiana Goncharova performing at 8 p.m Saturday, Feb. 11.
All concerts will be held on OCU’s Petree stage, 2501 N. Blackwelder.
