February 10th: The St. John's Epiphany Concert Series Continues in Florence

St. John’s Epiphany Concert Series concludes with a performance by Lana Duo on Sunday, February 10 at 6:00 p.m. in the church’s parish hall.  There is no charge for the concert, but donations are appreciated.  Light refreshments will be provided.  St. John’s is located at 252 S. Dargan Street in Florence.  Parking is available in the lot behind the church.

Soprano Svetlana Strezeva and her pianist daughter Milana Strezeva are Lana Duo.  Svetlana Strezeva, a prominent Russian-American soprano, is a Laureate of the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow as well as the Glinka Vocal International Competition in Minsk. She completed her professional studies at La Scala in Milan, Italy.  

As Prima Donna of the Moldova National Opera Company, Svetlana performed in numerous prestigious theaters, including the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow and the Kirov Theater in St. Petersburg. She has also recorded with the Bolshoi Opera Orchestra and the Moscow Pops Symphony.

Also a devoted teacher, Svetlana has given master classes in colleges and universities around the world, and maintains private voice studios in New York, NY; Tampa, FL; Chişinău, Moldova.Western Europe, and Cuba.  Her voice has been lauded for its lightness and purity of sound, and is “unbelievably beautiful for it's magic and the spell she casts over the audience.”

Praised as "The Great Russian Nightingale" by Russia’s St. Petersburg press, Svetlana currently resides in the United States and performs with her pianist and daughter, Milana Strezeva. Together they have given recitals throughout the United States as well as in Italy, Denmark, Germany, Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, and China.

Milana Strezeva is a founding member of the award-winning Manhattan Piano Trio, one of the most prominent and active chamber music groups in the country. Since its inception in 2004, the Trio has performed over 500 concerts spanning 35 US states, South Africa, Europe, and Australia.

A talented vocal collaborator and a consummate vocal coach, Milana has been part of several opera productions including Dicapo Opera (NYC), Sorg Opera (OH), and American Opera Company (NYC). 

As a pianist, Milana is a recipient of the Arts Recognition and Talent Search Award and winner of the Young Artist Competition and Yamaha Piano competition. In 1998, she won the IBLA International Competition as a vocal collaborator that led to her debut recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.  She holds undergraduate and master degrees from The Juilliard School.

The international press has praised Milana’s command of music and instrumental, sensitive interpretations, and an ability to “make the piano sing in an almost human voice.”

There is no concert on February 3.