Virtuosic pianist to play at Gershwin & Me concert

Virtuosic pianist and Gershwin aficionado Simon Tedeschi will perform timeless masterpieces of George Gershwin at the Toorak Synagogue on Tuesday, August 1.

Tedeschi will present a suite of favourites including Rhapsody, Summertime, I Got Rhythm and more. The program will also feature works from composers within Gershwin's world including Rachmaninov, Chopin and Debussy.

Hailed as one of the most exciting voices in jazz today, trumpeter Matt Jodrel will make a guest appearance.

Vladimir said he built the Gershwin and Me experience around the location, purposefully selecting a Jewish musician, composer and venue.

"When we launched the series in Melbourne this May, cellist Umberto Clerici said the Toorak Synagogue has possibly the best acoustic he'd heard anywhere in Australia. It was a unique and wonderful experience under the incredible Byzantine dome," he said.

"We have now secured exclusive access to share our musical experiences at the Synagogue. It will be a rare treat to hear the virtuosic Simon Tedeschi up close and personal in an evening dedicated to Gershwin."

The Gershwin and Me concert is the second in this 2023 series. The next Live at Yours concert at the Synagogue, on November 9, will feature Ukrainian pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk.

The 2024 series will be released at the event with a line-up of Australia's finest artists scheduled to appear at the Toorak Synagogue.

Vladimir and his wife, opera singer Eleanor Lyons, created Live at Yours as a response to pandemic restrictions in 2020/21. Australia's fastest growing live music company, Live at Yours has expanded from salon lounge performances in private homes into a series of sold-out musical experiences in Sydney's The Great Synagogue and a diverse range of musical experiences in regional NSW and smaller intimate venues across Sydney not normally marked for live performances.

Gershwin & Me - Simon Tedeschi, piano