World renowned concert pianist Roman Rudnytsky has performed all over the world in his long and illustrious music career and has for the past 16 years been a regular visitor to Cobar.
Roman has performed in more than 100 countries around the world and returns to Australia (and Cobar) every two years for concerts.
“I keep getting invited back,” he said.
Born into an entirely musical family, the American born artist of Ukrainian background, was destined to be a musician.
Roman’s parents were both professional musicians. His father was a composer, pianist and conductor, his mother was an opera singer and they ran a private music school.
His younger brother was also a cellist.
Roman started studying music at age four and gave his first concert at seven.
He later won a degree to study at the famous conservatory, the Julliard School in New York.
Roman said while he grew up studying music, he and his brother had a “totally normal upbringing” with a wonderful childhood that also included playing sport.
However Roman later found out that if he wanted to be serious about his music, then he would have to give up contact sports. As a teenager he used to play baseball but decided it was took much of a risk with his hands.
Roman went on to teach music and to perform all around the world. He is currently taking bookings for his next tour to Australia in 2019.
He has also taught music appreciation classes and said he found many people have a preconceived idea of what classical music performances are like.
“They have a very incomplete image which is fostered by things in the media,” he said.
“Many have stereotypical images of people in white tie and tails, which to them means boring. I’m much more informal in the way I play. Once I present the music and tell them a bit about what I’m playing, these images will be dispelled. I bet you in many cases people will say that they enjoyed the experience.
“I read many years ago that classical music and the fine arts are only supported by one per cent of the population, only one! Let’s make it two,” he said.
Roman encourages Cobar residents to come along to his concert at the Cobar Services Club and experience his style of classical music.
Hosted by the Cobar Arts Council with funding from the Country Area Support Program, Roman will playing works by Haydn, Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin and Liszt.
Roman said some of the music he plays is very famous (his closing piece is the very well known second Hungarian rhapsody, by Liszt) and he thinks first time audience members will be surprised with just how much classical music they are already familiar with.
