The Russian History Museum at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY invites you to attend a free online lecture commemorating the 150th anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s birth. The lecture, titled Sergei Rachmaninoff Re-Envisioned for the 21st Century, will be presented via Zoom on April 1st at 1 PM EST.

Guest speaker Dr. Valeria Z. Nollan will present a lecture based on her recently published biography of the renowned composer-conductor-virtuoso pianist, titled Sergei Rachmaninoff: Cross Rhythms of the Soul. The work evolved out of a multi-year project that included five Russian Rachmaninoff scholars and Nollan’s interviews with the composer’s grandson in Switzerland.

The lecture will reveal new material on Rachmaninoff’s young adulthood, artistic and personal relationships with several women, attitudes toward American life and musical culture, and humanitarian work carried out across the course of his life. Perhaps most importantly, Nollan will address the fullness of Rachmaninoff’s Russian Orthodox identity.

Prof. Nollan will punctuate her presentation with short readings from the biography to illustrate the distinguished musical artist’s wit, self-deprecating humor, compositional method, and humanity.

"Our museum has presented free monthly online lectures by leading specialists in Russian history and culture for nearly three years," says Michael Perekrestov, the Russian History Museum’s Executive Director. "I am especially grateful to Dr. Nollan for agreeing to participate in our celebration of Rachmaninoff’s rich legacy by sharing new information about the composer’s biography with our museum’s friends worldwide."

The Russian History Museum’s Second Saturday online lecture series was launched in June 2020, attracting attendees from over 40 countries. Scholars and specialists from across North America, Europe, and Australia presented on a broad range of topics, including Russian rulers, Dostoyevsky, Faberge, Ballets Russes, fine art and architecture, Cossacks, and folklore. Lecture recordings are available on the museum’s YouTube channel and have garnered over 668,000 views to date.

To register for Sergei Rachmaninoff Re-Envisioned for the 21st Century, please click here.

Join the Russian History Museum’s e-mail list here to be notified of future online lectures.

Upcoming lectures will include presentations on 20th century Russian art and the literature of Ivan Turgenev.