East 25th Street between 3rd and Lexington
Proceeded by a pre-concert talk @ 7pm; Concert followed by a reception

The great-great grandson of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin, Israeli-born Elisha Abas is a rare combination of talent, intellect, and pedigree. The solo pianist was a rare prodigy at the age of six when he started his performance career in 1977, performing concerts with the world's most prestigious orchestras at the Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and others. By the time he was a teenager, he was sharing the stage with some of the great masters, such as Zubin Mehta, Isaac Stern, and Leonard Bernstein. During this time, he won many accolades, scholarships, and prizes, including first place in the Claremont Piano Competition and first place in music for eight consecutive years by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. Artur Rubenstein mentored Abas for five years during his youth (Abas appeared in the film "Artur Rubenstein and Friends"), and Abas studied privately with his life-long teacher Pnina Salzmann. In a major press interview, Salzmann was quoted as saying, "his authentic spirit and electrifying rhythm makes you cry."

After a short hiatus playing professional soccer for Israel's premier soccer league, Elisha Abas is now composing original works for the piano and performing at major halls worldwide. The NY Times commented on his 2007 Carnegie Hall concert by stating "Abas was definitely communicating something.the audience was hip and mostly under 40.a young man declared it amazing. the presence of so much youth and enthusiasm, the excitement in the room was palpable". In Italy, La Roma National Italian Newspaper commented after his debut in Napoli at the Palazzo Delle Arte "he is the most refined and interesting pianists of our generation. the perfect marriage of exuberant musicality. the right dose of rationalism. rich with colors and shades... a captivating performance of Chopin and Schumann". In 2009, Abas premiered his original compositions in Russia's Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg and in the United Nations Grand Assembly Hall in NY.

The concert will be proceeded by an onstage dialogue with Elisha Abas, part of the Weissman Talks Dialogue Series at BPAC. Mr. Abas will lead a discussion titled "A Living Composer's Philosophy of Music."

Elisha Abas debuted at Baruch Performing Arts Center's Engelman Recital Hall in February 2008 and has committed to performing at least two concerts per year at Baruch. Don't miss this incredible concert with interpretations of Chopin, Schumann, Liszt and Scriabin, as well as his original compositions.

Tickets cost $30 and $15 for students and seniors and can be purchased online here or by calling TheaterMania (212) 352-3101 or the BPAC Box Office (646) 312-4085 or 5073.