Echoes of Exile: Pianist Teodor Doré’s Stirring Pre-Carnegie Hall Concert in Chelsea

Mar 2

Mar 2 Echoes of Exile: Pianist Teodor Doré’s Stirring Pre-Carnegie Hall Concert in Chelsea

Pianist Teodor Doré and his ensemble transported an intimate Chelsea audience through a deeply evocative chamber concert at the loft of fellow pianist and friend, Jonathan DePeri. The evening’s program explored themes of exile, displacement, and longing for one’s homeland—an especially personal narrative for the performers.

**Teodor Doré** ,**Viktoriya Pakhomova**

Doré, a Crimean-born pianist now living in exile, was joined by an ensemble of equally displaced musicians: Ukrainian soprano Anastasiya Roytman, Belarusian violinist Taisiya Losmakova, and Grammy-nominated Russian cellist Sergey Antonov. Together, they delivered a performance that resonated with both historical significance and raw emotional depth.

A standing-room-only crowd of over 80 guests filled the double-height music room and balcony, immersing themselves in a program that featured works by Sergei Rachmaninoff alongside Doré’s own compositions. A highlight of the evening was the world premiere of Doré’s newly orchestrated Suite in D Minor, a project undertaken with the approval and encouragement of Rachmaninoff’s great-granddaughter, Alexandra Conus Rachmaninoff.

*"It is a big responsibility to touch this heritage," Doré reflected. "But music unites us."*

Edgar Batista, Maurice Batista, Diane Batista, Teodor

Doré’s personal journey mirrors that of Rachmaninoff, both artists forced to leave their homelands due to political upheaval. This concert served as a prelude to his highly anticipated, sold-out Carnegie Hall debut on January 29, further solidifying his place in the classical music world.

Among the distinguished guests in attendance were Yanna Avis, Edgar Batista, Nora Coblence, Katherine Crockett, Mark Domino, Cornelius Escaravage, Ryan Nash, Antonia Franceschi, James Frey, Fiona Eltz, Jacqueline Garrett, Liecie Hollis, Ann Dexter-Jones, Juan Montoya, Catherine Orentreich, Alexandra Penney, Jean Park, Jerome Rose, Marie-Monique Steckel, The Met Museum’s Bradley Strauchen-Scherer, and Barbara Tober, along with the pianist’s wife, Viktoriya Pakhomova.

Doré’s forthcoming seventh album, Rachmaninoff Variations, promises to be a deeply personal exploration of exile and artistic resilience, featuring a selection of Rachmaninoff’s works interwoven with readings from letters written by exiles and excerpts from the composer’s personal diary.

“Having lost my homeland, I lost myself,” Rachmaninoff once lamented. “The exile, who has lost his musical roots, traditions, and native soil, has no desire to create. No other consolation remains except for the unbreakable silence of undisturbed memories.”