Russian pianist Daria Rabotkina serenaded Hinton Music Hall on Friday, serving as the final performer of the 2024-25 MTSU Keyboard Artist Series.
The recital kicked off the Nashville International Piano Competition weekend, which is held at MTSU this year from April 4-6. The competition lasts from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on April 5, and it will feature 15 hand-selected classically trained high school pianists in grades 9 through 12, as well as three alternates. The competitors will perform for a panel of three judges, which includes Rabotkina, for the chance to win cash prizes ranging from $2,000-5,000.
Distant melodies from a nearby piano practice fluttered into the music hall as guests filtered in to find seats. The auditorium lights flickered as Arunesh Nadgir, an MTSU professor and coordinator of Keyboard Studies, walked onstage to introduce Rabotkina.
“One of the great privileges of being here at the School of Music at MTSU is being able to work with our students, and to have exceptional artists from around the world come here to our campus,” Nadgir said. “She’s an incredible artist, and you’re in for a very special treat.”
The audience hushed, settling in for the next 30 minutes of uninterrupted music as Rabotkina approached center stage. She briefly spoke about the music of her first composition of the night, Kreisleriana, Op. 16, by Robert Schumann.
“The work is whimsical and, at the same time, very deep, emotionally,” Rabotkina said. “And I hope you love it as much as I do.”
Perched on the piano bench, Rabotkina pushed up her metallic-purple long sleeves, gave a jittery shake of her wrists and dove into the first movement, “Äußerst bewegt.”
She worked through the eight movements of the composition with abundant skill and animation. For the songs that began heavily and hastily, she hunched over the keys and delivered sharp, plunking movements. For light, adagio melodies, she often looked up towards the ceiling as her hands drifted gracefully over the keyboard.
As the program’s first half ended with the allegro “Schnell und spielend,” Rabotkina stood to deliver two silent bows before walking off stage. After prolonged applause, she reappeared to give a second set of silent bows before quickly disappearing again.
Following a brief intermission, the lights flickered and doors closed once again as Rabotkina reemerged for the second half of the program. She gave another short speech, this time about the history of her next composition, Peter Tchaikovsky’s Grand Sonata in G major, Op. 37.
“This piece has talent fully on display,” Rabotkina said. “But, for some reason, a majority of listeners and a majority of performers see from the pianistic point of view, and not as a misplaced symphony.”
She plunged into the classic four-movement composition with the same rigor and animation, beginning with “Moderato e risoluto” and ending with “Finale: Allegro vivace.” Rabotkina flawlessly executed the last movement’s drawn-out coda, providing a fitting and worth-the-wait ending to the set.
The audience gave a standing ovation, complete with whistling and a singular booming “Bravo!” After repeating her silent two-bow exit, Rabotkina returned hastily, introducing one last Schumann movement to close the performance.
“I’d like to finish this evening with something that still leaves the door open,” Rabotkina said before taking a seat at the piano bench one last time.
She moved through the peaceful ballad effortlessly, leaving the crowd with one more brief moment of tranquility before performing her signature duo of bows and ending her evening at MTSU.
Though her solo performance is over, Rabotkina will rejoin the MTSU School of Music for the entire weekend. On Saturday, she will act as a judge for the piano competition, while on Sunday, she plans to teach a masterclass for selected participants at 2 p.m. in Hinton Hall.
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