Limestone College

Limestone College's restored 1969 Steinway "D" piano.

Limestone College will celebrate the restoration of its 1969 Steinway "D" piano with a series of performances by a collection of world renowned pianists in the College's Fullerton Auditorium.

The four-performance series will begin on October 25^th and run through April 19^th. All performances, which are free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. and be followed by a reception with the artists in the Winnie Davis Hall of History.

The roster of performers-including two Steinway Artists, who have been endorsed by Steinway & Sons and perform exclusively on Steinway pianos-is comprised of

• The Witkowski Piano Duo, October 25
• Marina Lomazov (Steinway Artist), November 29
• Emile Pandolfi (Steinway Artist), March 6
• The Manhattan Piano Trio, April 19

"This concert series is a wonderful way to showcase our 1969 Steinway, and is an amazing opportunity for people here in Cherokee County and beyond to enjoy the talents of these world-class artists for free," said Dr. David Thompson, Professor of Music at Limestone. "I can guarantee that a ticket price would be substantial to see them in any other venue."

Located in Fullerton Auditorium, Limestone's Steinway was literally dissected into pieces at the Steinway & Sons facility on Long Island, NY during its restoration. The intensive process lasted nine months and cost over $50,000.

The Witkowski Piano Duo
Brazilian pianists Fábio and Gisele Witkowski have been sharing many stages around the world as the Witkowski Piano Duo.  They have appeared in prestigious settings including the Gardens of Villa Rufolo (Ravello, Italy), the Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), and at Carnegie Hall (New York).

Marina Lomazov (Steinway Artist)
Ukrainian-American pianist Marina Lomazov has established herself as one of the most passionate and charismatic performers on the concert scene today.  Following prizes in numerous international competitions, she has performed throughout North America, South America, England, France, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, Japan and in most of the U.S.

As orchestral soloist, Lomazov has performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic (NY), South Carolina Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony (SC), Missouri Chamber Orchestra, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, Graz Höchschulorchester (Austria), Bollington Festival Orchestra (England), and the Chernigoff Symphony Orchestra (Ukraine).

Emile Pandolfi (Steinway Artist)
Greenville, SC resident Emile Pandolfi was trained in classical piano from the age of five, and his early heroes were Vladimir Horowitz and Artur Rubinstein.  After earning his degree in piano performance, Pandolfi began arranging popular music using his classical technique to charm audiences in the United States, the Caribbean, England and Australia.

Perhaps what makes Pandolfi unique is a rare mixture of something old, something new, and something indescribable.  His shows reflect Pandolfi's musical "upbringing" and his desire to entertain the whole family.  "What I try to do is to have every tune in the show be a special musical experience - familiar tunes played in a brand new way. When I play, it's a mix of pop and classical; I like to call if 'pop-sical'. Whether I'm recording or performing in concert, I like to give 200%; the audience knows that nothing's being held back, emotionally speaking."

The Manhattan Piano Trio
With more than 300 concerts in its first five seasons alone, the Manhattan Piano Trio is one of the most active groups in the classical music scene, welcomed by enthusiastic audiences in over 30 states, Australia and South Africa, and in venues such as Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, and the Ravinia Festival.

The Washington Post described the Trio as "impressive" and "outstanding," while the Sarasota Herald Tribune said "one seldom is privileged to enjoy music of such a wide range of styles performed with self-effacing skill and relaxed assurance." Their third album, a disc of Schumann and Chopin trios in honor of the composers bicentennials, was successfully released last year on the Marquis Classics label.