Prokofiev has generally been represented as a rebellious enfant terrible - an image that he himself relished and encouraged. Yet he had a genuine appreciation...

Prokofiev has generally been represented as a rebellious enfant terrible - an image that he himself relished and encouraged. Yet he had a genuine appreciation of more traditional qualities: most obviously melodiousness and, rather less often acknowledgedk, the late-Romantic style of writing for the piano exemplified by his celebrated older contemporary, Rachmaninov. Prokofiev was himself a talented pianist. He was just five when he wrote his first piece for his own instrument. Russian pianist Ilya Yakushev, with many awards and honors to his credit, continues to astound and mesmerize audiences at major venues on three continents. His three-concert series at teh San Francisco Symphony's Prokofiev Festival under Michael Tilson-Thomas was named one of the "Top 10 Classical Music Events of 2007" by the San Francisco Chronicle. As a concert soloist, Mr. Yakushev has performed in Lincoln Center's Great Performers SEries, at the Tanglewood Music Festival and many more.