Through the Prism of Sound: From Baroque to Jazz – Olena Blahulyak in Concert

The Lilia Khakimova and C. Robert Bunch Concert Series

Saturday, September 13, 7 pm | Tickets

Cultural Center – Our Texas | 2337 Bissonnet Houston, TX 77005 | 713.395.3301

Cultural Center “Our Texas” is proud to present acclaimed Ukrainian pianist Olena Blahulyak in an intimate concert titled “Through the Prism of Sound: From Baroque to Jazz,” on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 7:00 PM.
Blahulyak will take audiences on a captivating musical journey spanning four centuries, blending elegance, depth, and virtuosic brilliance in a dynamic program that bridges Baroque refinement and contemporary jazz influence.

Program Highlights Include:

• François Couperin – Les Barricades Mystérieuses, La Muse Plantine, Le Tic-Toc-Choc, ou Les Maillotins
• Nikolai Medtner – Meditazione, Romanza, Primavera, Canzona matinata, Sonata Tragica
• Igor Stravinsky – Three Movements from “Petrushka”
• George Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue (piano solo version)

Ukrainian concert pianist Olena Blagulyak presents a program spanning four centuries of keyboard music.

The evening opens with François Couperin’s Ordre, a jewel of the French Baroque. Originally written for harpsichord, these refined and elegant works take on new color at the modern piano.

The program continues with Forgotten Melodies, Op. 39 by Nikolai Medtner, one of the most overlooked composers of the early 20th century. A close friend of Sergei Rachmaninov. Though admired during his lifetime, Medtner’s music has since remained largely underperformed. This cycle of five interconnected pieces unfolds as a single narrative, rich in lyrical melodies, emotional contrasts, intricate textures, and bold late-Romantic harmonies, culminating in the dramatic Sonata Tragica.

In the second half, Olena performs Igor Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Petrushka, based on his 1911 ballet commissioned by impresario Sergei Diaghilev to captivate Paris audiences with Russian color and energy. The 1921 piano transcription stands as one of the most technically demanding works in the repertoire, bursting with rhythmic brilliance, bold harmonies, and orchestral textures.

The program concludes with George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in the composer’s solo piano version. Commissioned in 1924 by bandleader Paul Whiteman for his landmark “Experiment in Modern Music” concert, Gershwin composed the work in just a few weeks. Its premiere was an instant sensation, fusing classical form with jazz idioms. With irresistible rhythms, unforgettable melodies, and virtuosic writing that blends orchestral and piano textures, Rhapsody in Blue has become an icon of the Jazz Age and one of the most beloved works of the 20th century.

We encourage early reservations—seating is limited!
Lilia Khakimova and C. Robert Bunch made a significant contribution that allowed us to acquire a beautiful new baby grand piano, which will be showcased in the upcoming series.