Hailed by The New York Times as a pianist of “a fiery sensibility and warm touch,” ANNA SHELEST is an international award-winning artist who has thrilled audiences throughout the world.

Anna Shelest made her orchestral debut at the age of twelve with the Kharkiv Symphony Orchestra and has, subsequently, appeared as soloist with many distinguished orchestras, among them the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. In recital, she has been heard in New York City’s Stern Auditorium and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ Alice Tully Hall, Washington, DC’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Mexico City’s Palacio de Bellas Artes and Austria’s Wiener Konzerthaus.

With her husband, pianist Dmitri Shelest, Anna has recorded “Ukrainian Rhapsody,” an album exploring the rich repertoire for solo and four hands piano by composers of their homeland.  This CD was broadcast on radio stations throughout the United States, many of which selected it as their Album of the Week. She records exclusively with Sorel Classics, which has issued six CDs to date.

A champion of esoteric repertoire, Anna Shelest is currently collaborating with legendary conductor Neeme Järvi on a project to record the complete works for piano and orchestra by Anton Rubinstein. The initial CD of the set features the Concerto #4 and Caprice Russe and was released in 2018 to wide critical acclaim. Early in 2019, Ms. Shelest’s latest albums were released: Rubinstein’s Concertos #3 and 5 with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and another solo CD, comprised of music by women composers drawn from the last three centuries.

A native of Ukraine, Anna Shelest received her early music education at the Kharkiv Special Music School. She received her Masters Degree from The Juilliard School in New York City, where she studied with Jerome Lowenthal.

Anna Shelest makes her home in New York City with her husband and two sons.

www.annashelest.com

BACH, J.S.

Concerto #1 in d, BWV 1052

BEETHOVEN

Concerto #4 in G, Op. 58
Fantasia in c, Op. 80 ("Choral Fantasy")

LISZT 

Totentanz

MOZART

Concerto #11 in F, K. 413
Concerto #21 in C, K. 467
Concerto #23 in A, K. 488
Concerto #24 in c, K. 491

PROKOFIEV

Concerto #1 in D-flat, Op. 10
Concerto #2 in g, Op. 16

RACHMANINOFF

Concerto #1 in f-sharp, Op. 1 (rev. 1917)
Concerto #2 in c, Op. 18
Concerto #3 in d, Op. 30
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

RUBINSTEIN

Caprice Russe, Op. 102
Concerto #3 in G, Op. 45
Concerto #4 in d, Op. 70
Concerto #5 in E-flat, Op. 94

SAINT-SAËNS

Concerto #2 in g, Op. 22

SHOSTAKOVICH

Concerto #1 in c, Op. 35
Concerto #2 in F, Op. 102

STRAUSS

Burleske in d

TCHAIKOVSKY

Concerto #1 in b-flat, Op. 23

	ANTON RUBINSTEIN Piano Concerto #3 in G, Op. 45 Piano Concerto #5 in E-flat, Op. 94 Neeme Järvi/Estonian National Symphony Orchestra Sorel Classics: SC CD 014
	ANTON RUBINSTEIN Piano Concerto #4 in d, Op. 70 Caprice Russe, Op. 102 Neeme Järvi/The Orchestra Now Sorel Classics: SC CD 013
	“UKRAINIAN RHAPSODY” Lysenko: Suite on Ukrainian Themes, Op. 2 Lysenko/Revutsky: Overture to the Opera Taras Bulba with Dmitri Shelest, pianist Revutsky: Preludes, Op. 4 & Op. 7 Revutsky: Waltz in B-flat Zhuk: Ukrainian Rhapsody Skoryk: Three Extravagant Dances with Dmitri Shelest, pianist Sorel Classics: SC DC 011
	PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto #1 in D-flat, Op. 10 Piano Concerto #2 in g, Op. 16 Niels Muus/Janácek Philharmonic Orchestra Sorel Classics: SC DC 006
	“TUTTI” - SHELEST PIANO DUO Smetana: The Moldau Liszt: Les Préludes Tchaikovsky: Symphony #6 in b, Op. 74 (mvt. III) Ravel/Garban: La valse Gershwin/Levine: Rhapsody in Blue Sorel Classics: SC DC 002
	“SPIRIT & ROMANCE” Bach/Busoni: Chaconne Liszt: Sonetto 104 del Petrarca Schubert/Liszt: Gretchen am Spinnrade Wagner/Liszt: Isoldes Liebestod Schumann: Piano Sonata 31 in f-sharp, Op. 11 Sorel Classics: SC DC 001
	“PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION” Glinka/Balakirev: The Lark Tchaikovsky: Romance in f, Op. 5 Tchaikovsky: Valse in A-flat, Op. 40, #8 Tchaikovsky: Romance in F, Op. 51, #5 Tchaikovsky: Valse in f-sharp, Op. 40, #9 Tchaikovsky: Nocturne in F, Op. 10, #1 Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition Sorel Classics: SC DC 007

Anna Shelest brought a fiery sensibility and warm touch to the piano solo of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, whose theme evokes the famous melody of his Ninth Symphony. Soloist and orchestra collaborated effectively for an energetic rendition that highlighted the improvisatory character of the work.

THE NEW YORK TIMES

RUBINSTEIN Piano Concerto No. 4
The conductor launches into the first-movement introduction at a faster than usual clip, while Shelest sails through her introductory cadenza with bracing confidence and not a single splinter or vagary in those massive chords. Her forward-moving phrasing and flexibility are exactly what this burly music demands. The pianist’s tone opens up in the cadenza, where even a home listener gets a sense of how her melodic projection extends out towards the venue’s proverbial peanut gallery. If anything, the tumultuous finale showcases Shelest’s power and agility operating at more inspired capacity, tossing out runs, leaps and octave surges to effortless effect.

GRAMOPHONE

Anna Shelest delivers a powerhouse performance in the new release, Anton Rubinstein Piano Concerto No. 4. The Rubinstein Concerto No. 4 is gargantuan and Shelest is simply brilliant in her navigation of this iconic 19th-century Russian’s work. She captures the rich beauty of all Rubinstein’s melodies, both broad orchestral statements and intimate piano utterances. Conductor Neeme Järvi brings his extraordinary skill to the podium to direct the energies released by the music. The CD also includes Rubinstein’s Caprice Russe whose strong national folk content stands in contrast to the more European flavour of the concerto. It’s a thrilling live recording.

THE WHOLE NOTE MAGAZINE

A new piano duo on the scene is the Ukrainian-born, and now New York-based couple, Anna and Dmitri Shelest. Shelest Piano Duo have released their first recording, TUTTI, with substantial standard repertoire items. Among the disc’s highlights are Liszt’s own arrangement of his Les Préludes played with consistent brilliance and sensitivity through to its magnificent conclusion. Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony Allegro is an impressive display of melody and countermelody beautifully balanced and phrased. [In Ravel’s La Valse], the Shelests capture the chaos and complexity familiar in the orchestral version and bring it to a stunning finish.”

THE WHOLE NOTE MAGAZINE

10/23/2018 (5:30pm)	GOOD SHEPHERD-FAITH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (NYC) C. Schumann: Scherzo in c Chaminade: 2 Concert Etudes F. Mendelssohn: Piano Sonata in g Beach: Ballade Beach: Dreaming
11/2/2018 (8pm)	SUNY AT FREDONIA Juliet J. Rosch Recital Hall C. Schumann: Scherzo in c Chaminade: 2 Concert Etudes F. Mendelssohn: Piano Sonata in g Beach: Ballade Beach: Dreaming
1/26/2019 (6:30pm)	THE UKRAINIAN MUSEUM (NYC) Shelest Piano Duo Lysenko/Revutsky: Overture to the Opera Taras Bulba Zhuk: Ukrainian Rhapsody Botkevych: Four Melodies & Dances Skoryk: Three Extravagent Dances
2/24/2019 (2pm)	THE SOREL ORGANIZATION Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (NYC) “A Celebration of Women in Music” F. Mendelssohn: Piano Sonata in g Tabakova: The Whispering Lullaby with Danny Kim, violist
3/8/2019 (8pm)	“DONNA VOCE” CD Release Recital Mary Flagler Cary Hall, The DiMenna Center (NYC) F. Mendelssohn: Piano Sonata in g Beach: Ballade Beach: Phantoms Beach: Dreaming C. Schumann: Scherzo in c Chaminade: Les Sylvains L. Boulanger: Prelude in D-flat Hsu: Rhapsody Toccata
3/17/2019 (3pm)	THE LYCEUM (Alexandria, VA) F. Mendelssohn: Piano Sonata in g Beach: Ballade Beach: Phantoms Beach: Dreaming C. Schumann: Scherzo in c Chaminade: Les Sylvains Chaminade: 2 Concert Etudes Lysenko/Revutsky: Overture to the Opera Taras Bulba* Zhuk: Ukrainian Rhapsody* Botkevych: Four Melodies & Dances* Skoryk: Three Extravagent Dances* *Shelest Piano Duo
4/1/2019 (7pm)	12th ANNUAL ABC GALA Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (N YC)
4/11/2019 (7pm) 4/12/2019 (7pm)	FIFTH AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (NYC) Kirkland Chapel Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem with The Chamber Choir Ryan Jackson, conductor