Ekaterina Levental & Frank Peters

Mezzo-soprano and harpist Ekaterina Levental and pianist Frank Peters present "Beyond Borders", a theatrical song recital featuring Russian Romantic music. The programme includes songs by Tchaikovsky, Medtner and Rachmaninoff for voice, harp and piano, with the music serving as a narrative frame within which Ekaterina shares personal stories.

Ekaterina Levental fled Uzbekistan (former Soviet Union) to the Netherlands more than thirty years ago. In this performance, she explores through music the words and meaning behind the borders she crossed. The piano plays a central role: Rachmaninoff and Medtner were both piano virtuosos, and Frank Peters performs as an equal partner - not as an accompanist. The voice, in turn, functions as commentator or equal voice in the whole.

The programme includes "Vocalise" by Rachmaninoff, "None but the Lonely Heart" by Tchaikovsky, "Sleeplessness" by Medtner, and excerpts from Tchaikovsky's operas "Eugene Onegin" and "The Queen of Spades".

"It is a story that deserves to be heard for the lessons it offers - human, social and not least musical. It shows how enchanting and moving music can shift in colour and intensity depending on how it is presented" - Nieuwe Muze