George Li stepping into Orchestra Iowa’s weekend concerts

Garrick Ohlsson bows out with a sudden illness

May. 19, 2023 12:53 pm

Award-winning pianist George Li, who studied at the New England Conservatory and Harvard University, will perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto during Orchestra Iowa's Masterworks concerts Saturday night, May 20, at the Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids, and Sunday afternoon, May 21, at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City. He is stepping in to replace pianist Garrick Ohlsson, who is ill. (Simon Fowler)

CEDAR RAPIDS — Internationally-acclaimed pianist George Li will make his debut with Orchestra Iowa at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City.

Li is replacing pianist Garrick Ohlsson, who is ill.

Silver medalist in the 2015 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition, Li, who lives in Lexington, Mass., will perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s most famous work, the Second Piano Concerto. The program also includes Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 and the world premiere of “Shades and Illuminations” by Nancy Hill Cobb.

Tickets are $17 to $58 for Saturday’s concert, available at the Orchestra Iowa Ticket Office, (319) 366-8203 or artsiowa.com/. Sunday tickets are $14.42 to $64.98 at the Hancher Box Office, 1-(800) HANCHER or hancher.uiowa.edu/upcoming-events.

For more on George Li, go to georgelipianist.com/

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