On Sunday, Oct. 17, concert-goers will have the extraordinary opportunity to hear the phenomenal young pianist, Natasha Paremski, who will perform the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Inland Empire/Riverside County Philharmonic.

This concert, presented by the Arrowhead Arts Association, will take place at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church at 3 p.m., and will also include the Shostakovich Symphony No. 5. Although only 17 years old, Natasha Paremski has already won dozens of prizes, recorded with the Moscow Philharmonic, and was chosen from hundreds of talented young virtuosi to debut at Carnegie Hall in Feb. 2004 in the Rachmaninoff 2nd piano concerto.

In a taped telephone interview with The Mountain News and Crestline Courier-News conducted Sept. 19, insight and an intimate look is given into the life and budding career of this outstanding young artist.

Mountain News/Crestline Courier-News: Natasha, please tell us about your background and early training.

Natasha Paremski: Well, I started to play the piano when I was 2 years old, and I began lessons at the age of 4, in Moscow, Russia, where I was born and grew up until I was 8 years old. When I was eight, my family and I moved to America. And I've been training here ever since.

MN: Whom have you studied with in America?

NP: I have had many teachers, and to name them all would take a long time, but now I'm studying with a great teacher named Pavlina Dokovska at the Mannes College of Music in New York, where I am a full-time college student.

MN: What competitions and awards have you won?

NP: I started playing in competitions when I was 9, and I have won many of them, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic competition when I was 14. But I stopped doing them when I was 15. I found that they can be very helpful, but they can also be destructive because you are not playing for an audience, but for judges. And you don't know what they expect of you, and it's a very unhealthy pressure. So now I don't do them any more because I have professional management, and I get bookings without having to do competitions.

MN: As a pianist and musician, who have been your major influences?

NP: The pianists, Richter, Rachmaninoff, Gilels, and also a young French pianist named Helene Grimaud, who is my mentor, and a very good friend of mine. Every time she's in town, I come and play for her. She is a wonderful person, and a great pianist.

MN: Have you had any ensemble experience?

NP: Yes. When I was studying at the San Francisco Conservatory, I played in chamber music groups. And I would like to do more ensemble work.

MN: Do you have any other interests, activities, or training in other fields?

NP: No. Are you kidding? I don't have time to sleep!

MN: What are your plans and goals for the future?

NP: I hope to become a famous concert pianist. And in terms of studying, I want to expand my knowledge of music, and art in general.

MN: Do you have any advice for young music students?

NP: The most helpful advice would be to work hard and set a goal for every day, and to work very hard to fulfill that goal. My main motivation is to see a goal in front of me, and work towards it, and as soon as you have accomplished that goal, move on to another goal. Every day you raise your expectations for yourself.

MN: What do you love most about music or about playing the piano?

NP: I love to express myself. That's why I love music. I can put all of my emotions into my performance, and even when I'm practicing. The way writers put their thoughts on paper, I like to put my thoughts into music. And I love the stage because I love to connect with people. I love to convey my emotions to other people through this medium of music.

MN: Wonderful. And we're certainly going to hear you do that when you come to Lake Arrowhead. We're really looking forward to that.

NP: Thank you.

Don't miss this amazing young pianist perform on Sunday, Oct. 17 at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. There will be a pre-concert lecture given by conductor, Patrick Flynn at 2:15 p.m. and a reception hosted by the Arrowhead Arts Auxiliary will follow the concert. Tickets are available at the Lake Arrowhead Chamber of Commerce, Pat's General Store in Blue Jay, McCabe's Bookstore in Crestline, and Sarah's Attic in Running Springs. General admission is $10, reserved seating is $25, and children 4-16 are FREE. For more information, call (909) 337-0284.

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