Benjamin Dominguez, Piano, and Sunnat Ibrahim, Cello, in Concert
The St. Matthew Lutheran Church Concert Series will present pianist Benjamin Dominguez and cellist Sunnat Ibrahim in concert on Sunday, March 22, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. The doors open at 3:30 p.m. Free tickets will be used to guarantee seating. Free-will offering. To order tickets send a stamped, self-addressed envelope with the number of tickets desired to: "March Concert" St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 30 W. Chestnut St. Hanover, PA 17331.
Beginning in 2018, Benjamin Dominguez and cellist Sunnat Ibrahim from Uzbekistan began a collaborative partnership giving a series of recitals throughout Kansas; the Wakarusa artist series presented by the Hammert Building; on the air with Kansas Public Radio; and in artist recital at Pittsburgh State University. In 2020, Sunnat and Benjamin will continue to perform a variety of recitals in concert series throughout Pennsylvania and Kansas.
Pianist Benjamin Dominguez was raised in the Hanover, PA area and attended St. Matthew for a number of years. Having studied the piano for over two-thirds of his life, Benjamin continues to develop the passion that he received from his teachers, particularly in his early years with Mrs. Sue Davis and when he was a teenager from Mr. James Sempeles, former professor at Messiah College.
At the University of Kansas Benjamin won many competitions and awards, culminating in the 2018 Presser Scholar Award and Scholarship given by the KU School of Music faculty for outstanding achievement. As a freshman, he performed twice with conductor Michael Stern and the KC Symphony at the Kauffman Center for the Arts after winning the KC Symphony Young Artists Competition. In 2017, he won the Grand Prize at the national Naftzger Young Artists Audition as well as joint First Prize in the KU Concerto Competition, giving a performance with conductor Jung-Ho Pak and the KU Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, he was the grand prize winner of the 2019 Kansas City SAI Scholarship Auditions and is a finalist in the Music Teachers National Association 2020 Young Artist competition in piano.
Benjamin has participated in masterclasses and lessons with internationally acclaimed artists such as Robert McDonald, Yo-Yo Ma and Martin Katz. He has attended the Chautauqua Piano Festival, as well as the Bowdoin International Music Festival as a part of their highly esteemed Piano Fellowship Program as well as the Art of the Piano in Cincinnati under full scholarship.
Cellist Sunnat Ibrahim has established himself as an artist of creativity, passion and technical command. He is one of the most prominent cellists to emerge from the Central Asian republics and has studied with many of the top artists of our time. He has performed live and on radio with major soloists, chamber musicians, orchestras and conductors. He performed with orchestras ("Soloists of Uzbekistan," Uzbek National Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Des Moines Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Shenyang Symphony, Southeast Kansas Symphony, Hays Symphony, NAVO Chamber Orchestra), chamber musicians (Shmuel Ashkenasi, Borromeo String Quartet); and festivals (the Orford Music Festival in Montreal, Aspen Music Festival).
Sunnat was born in Tashkent, where he began studying the cello at 7. He studied at the Glière State Music School and the Uzbek State Conservatory. Sunnat earned a Bachelor of Music from Park University's International Center for Music and he continued, also on full scholarship, at the University of Southern California. He has his Master's Degree from the University of Kansas. Currently, Sunnat Ibrahim is on the faculty at the Pittsburg State University. He performs on a Riccardo Antoniazzi cello made in 1899.