The Russian Community Center and the Mid-America National Institute of Performing Arts will be presenting a classical music concerts open to the public for the financial benefit of the Russian Community Center. There is no charge to attend the concert, but donations will be requested.

The first concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, 2005 at Holmeswood Baptist Church, 9700 Homes Road, Kansas City, Missouri.

The second concert will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, 2005 at Lutheran Atonement Church, 9948 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, Kansas.

The performing pianists will be Regina Lekser and Alexander Samarin.

Regina Lekser is a graduate of Gnesin's State Academy of Music, Moscow State Conservatory and Moscow State Music College. Ms. Lekser also holds a master's degree in music from the University of Missouri Kansas City. Ms. Lekser holds several piano competition awards and has preformed extensively in piano concerts in Russia, Eastern Europe and the United States.

Alexander Samarin is a graduate of Moscow State Conservatory in piano. Mr. Samarin has performed in concert in several of the main concert halls of Russia, Europe, France, Portugal, Greece, Germany and the United States. Mr. Samarin recently won the Concerto Aria competition in the United States and is preparing for several international piano competitions.

The performing guitarist will be Yuri Kuznetsov.

Maestro Kuznetsov is a Russian prodigy who was selected for the State School of Music for gifted children at age seven. He has performed in concert throughout Russia and Europe. In 1996 he started his own school of music for guitar, High-Mastery Guitar Courses, in association with the renowned Alexander Lagoya of the Music Conservatory of Paris.

The performing flautist will be Helen Razmyslovich.

Helen Razmyslovich is a graduate of Moscow State Conservatory and Gnesins' State Academy in flute performance and pedagogy. Concertized extensively as a soloist, chamber and orchestral artist, was broadcasted on Russian Television and Radio. Taught very successfully in State Music Schools, Colleges for many years.

The works of Mozart, Gluck, Rachmaninov, Liszt, Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Glinka will be featured.

The funds received from this concert will go to support the Russian Community Center located in the Ranch Mart shopping center at the intersection of 95^th and Mission Road.

The Russian Community Center is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to assisting Russian speaking people and those associated with them. The Center offers language classes, job assistance, language translations, community activities and cultural opportunities for people within the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.

Regina Lekser
Regina Lekser was born and raised in Moscow in mixed Polish/German family. Her Mother is a professional musician, a flutist, at that time was teaching and State Music School and played in Symphony. The whole lineage of musicians from her Mother's side leads back to 19^th Century, when her world famous great grand grandfather J. Roma-novsky was Warsaw Opera and Ballet Conductor, and performed all over the world with his own orchestra. He was the first who widely introduced to the world and promoted music of great Russian composer Alexander Scriabin - at that time being young and unknown.

Ms. Lekser showed her musical talent in very early age. When she was 4 years old she already was performing her own improvisations on music of J.S.Bach and W.A.Mozart at Moscow music circles private concerts, and was pronounced a child prodigy. At age of 5 she was accepted in Gnesins' State Specialized Music School as a piano major, where she studied under guidance of Sofia Devinishskaia - Distinguished Artist of Russia, famous music critic, author of many method textbooks, first graduate and favorite student of Yelena Gnesina (the founder of School). While studying in this school through her childhood she already performed in many major concert halls as Gnesins' Bolshoy and Maly Halls, Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, Rachmaninov Concert Hall, Moscow Conservatory Recital Halls, Central House of Artists, A.Scriabin Museum Recital Hall. Undergraduate studies she continued in Moscow state Conservatory under guidance of Professor Raphail Chernov and in Moscow State College of Performing Arts as a piano performance and pedagogy major. Her most influential teachers were -Eleonor Panina (student of J.Flier and A.Ioheles), Leonid Broumberg and Arnold Kaplan - Moscow Philharmonic soloists. After graduation Ms. Lekser was offered a full time teaching position in Moscow State School of Music where she successfully served as a piano instructor, accompanist and chamber ensemble coach for 12 years. Her students were constantly recognized and were winning top awards in different competitions in Moscow. In addition to this busy schedule she maintained an active concert life as a soloist and a chamber artist. Her performance always was praised for great flair and conviction, for quality of sound and sophistication, for extreme passion and high appeal to an audience.

   After imigration to the USA Ms. Lekser received MM in Piano performance from UMKC Conservatory of Music where she studied under guidance of Professor John McIntyre. While at Conservatory she was constantly selected to perform at different concerts as an ambassador of music for UMKC. In 1999 she was nominated as "the most musical student in Piano department".

Currently Ms Lekser is involved in establishing of a new school - Mid-American National Institute of Performing Arts (in conjunction with Russian Community Center). The main goal of this school - to provide our community with the highest Professional level of instruction in music and dance departments based on remarkable traditions of Russian, Western Europe and American music and dance schools.

Alex Samarin
Alexander Samarin was born in Moscow, Russia, in a family of musicians - both his parents were teaching choral music and conducting on University level. Alex Samarin started to study music at 6 years old in Moscow State Music School for gifted youth named after V. Shebalin. Further music education received in Gnesins' State Academy of music and Moscow State Conservatoire of Music, where he earned degrees in Piano Performance and Pedagogy. He has performed extensively in his native Russia and abroad. In Moscow he played in such prestigious halls as Moscow Conservatory Concert Halls, Rachmaninov concert Hall, Gnesins' Academy of Music Concert Halls. During his years of study he constantly was selected to perform in educational series at lecture-recitals of his well-known piano professors - V. Starodubrovsky / student of Leo Vlasenko/ and D. Sakharov / student of Heinrich Neuhaus/, participated in many master-classes and school concerts. He played at International Music Festivals in Greece /Alexandropolis/, in France /Jonzak/ and in Germany.

   Currently he is pursuing MM in Piano Performance at Missouri Central State University under guidance of Professor Richard Smith, and preparing for numerous national and international piano competitions - Louisiana International Piano Competition in Alexandria, Louisiana, San-Antonio International Competition, Wideman International Concerto Competition, and Tchaikovsky International Competition. He also just has won a Concerto Aria competition and performed with Symphony Orchestra at CMSU on March 2^nd, 2005.

   His large repertoire includes works from all periods of piano literature. On top of a standard classical repertoire Mr. Samarin included in his recitals his own compositions, which are based on Russian folk melodies / he had special interest to Russian folk music, studied and researched it/. Also, during several years he traveled and recorded bells toll in many old Russian churches and monasteries, after that he engaged their sound in to the piano transcription "Bells paraphrase". This unique work became his favorite encore piece.

   Several years ago Mr. Samarin was involved in very important research on Piano Heritage of great Russian composer M Moussorgsky. The main goal of this research - to bring in to the World an authentic writing and concept of M. Mussorgsky's compositions. Right now he is preparing for a publication a fundamental scholar work on "Pictures from the Exhibition" - a piano suite - a real masterpiece written by M. Moussorgsky.

Yuri Kuznetsov
Yuri Kuznetsov is a leading russian guitarist and a teacher. He was born in Moscow and started to play guitar in very early age - at 7 years old he entered to State Music School for gifted kids and graduated form this school with diploma in guitar performance.

   His undergraduate studies were completed in the State Moscow Music Institute named after Shnitke in guitar performance major and conducting. In 1996 he had founded "High-Mastery Guitar Courses" in association with one of the world greatest guitarists, professor in Paris Conservatory Alexander Lagoya. Where he has taught lectured and prepared guitarists for all find of national and international competitions and festivals.

   His wide range repertoire includes works from all periods of guitar literature. In addition to a standard repertoire he does his own arrangements for solo guitar of J.S.Bach compositions for clavier in very unique way - he tries to preserve polyphonic structure and authentic baroque sound in his transcriptions.

   Yuri Kuznetsov has concertized extensively in Moscow and throughout Russian and Europe.

Helen Razmyslovich
Ms. Rasmyslovich graduated from Gnesins' State Academy of Music and Moscow State Conservatory of Music where she was majoring in flute performance and Pedagogy. Her teachers include Nicholai Platonov - professor of flute in Moscow State Conservatory, author of many flute method books, Gregory Madatov - Gnesins' State Academy flute professor, Yuli Yagoodean - principal flute in Bolshoy Theatre and Moscow State Symphony. Ms. Razmyslovich's performance experience encompasses orchestral, chamber and solo repertoire. She has held positions in Moscow Symphony and Lyric Theater and performed throughout Russia and abroad as a solo and chamber artist. She constantely was praised by her professors, conductors and audiences for extreme musicality and beauty of a tone.

   She taught very successfully in State Moscow Music schools, Colleges for many years. Her students always were winning top awards at all kind of competitions in Moscow. Currently Ms. Razmyslovich teaches privately and is a flute, Recorder, Piano beginner through intermediate and Solfege teacher for Mid-American National Institute of Performing Arts.