Music of Piazzolla concert

Join the Library for a concert celebtraing Latin Music Appreciation Month with an all-Piazzolla program, featuring his Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires) for violin, cello, and piano, along with a selection of shorter works.

The performance brings together an accomplished trio: pianist Irina Bendetsky, a Moscow-trained concert artist and longtime San Diego educator; violinist and conductor Alyze Dreiling, an award-winning performer and artistic director; and cellist Lorie Kirkell, an acclaimed soloist and chamber musician with a distinguished West Coast career.

Doors will open at 2:45 pm.

Irina Bendetsky – Piano
Pianist Irina Bendetsky began her musical training in Moscow at the age of four. Her first teacher was a student of the renowned piano pedagogue Heinrich Neuhaus. After graduating from the prestigious Gnessin State Music College, she was accepted into the Gnessin Conservatory of Music, where she studied under Vladimir Tropp. In 1984, she graduated with the Red Diploma—an honor awarded only to those qualified as a concert pianist, accompanist, chamber musician, and teacher. Irina has performed with orchestras in both Russia and the United States, appearing as a soloist in concertos by Liszt, Ravel, Beethoven, Bach, and Shostakovich, as well as the famously demanding Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 (“Rach 3”). After relocating to San Diego in 1990, Irina joined the faculty at the University of San Diego, where she taught for ten years. She now runs a private teaching studio in San Diego. Her students have won international competitions and performed with major orchestras in Los Angeles, New York, and across Europe. As a sought-after accompanist, she has helped prepare many top musicians for elite competitions, including the International Tchaikovsky Competition In 2019, Ms. Bendetsky expanded her teaching practice to include remote instruction. In addition to teaching, Irina continues to perform in the San Diego area as part of Duo Yrion.

Alyze Dreiling – Violin/Viola/Conductor
Violinist/Violist/Conductor Alyze Dreiling, was born in Detroit, Michigan. She began her studies with Mischa Mischakoff. The Detroit Symphony and the Music Study Club of Metropolitan Detroit sponsored her education with Mischakoff. Ms. Dreiling graduated from Indiana University where she studied with Josef Gingold. She holds a BM in Violin Performance from Indiana University and MA from United States International University with an emphasis on Orchestral Performance. Ms. Dreiling was an invited semi- finalist in the European Union Conducting Competition in 2018. She has attended masterclasses with Zoltan Rozsnyai, Gunther Neuhold,, Neil Thomson and Dr. Scott Weiss and Philip Greenberg.She has won numerous prizes from The American Prize Competition for conducting. Ms. Dreiling is Artistic Director and Conductor of the New City Sinfonia, the Symphonic Orchestra for Civic Youth Orchestra (CYO), the North Coast Strings (NCS) and Grossmont College String Ensemble.Grossmont Symphony String Ensemble. Ms. Dreiling was also the founding Artistic Director and Conductor of Classics for Kids.

Lorie Kirkell– Cello
Lorie Kirkell is an acclaimed American cellist, who has developed a glowing career on the West Coast as soloist, recitalist, and chamber music player. After her studies on the East Coast with distinguished cellists Raya Garbousova and Bernard Greenhouse, she spent some time doing freelance work and repertoire development. She then came to the West Coast where she earned a Master of Arts degree in music at the University  of California San Diego and studied with the well known cellist Peter Farrell. Her research into repertoire moved into the 20th century as well as performance practice of music of earlier times. After this, a long series of recitals and solo appearances began and continue with noticeable frequency and high critical acclaim. She has appeared as principal cellist with orchestras for the Bolshoi Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. Ms. Kirkell has performed at the Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Civic Theater, and with many other music organizations. She is the Director of the Novellus Ensemble.