Illness forces Bidini to cancel Tucson Symphony performance

Bidini, who was to perform the demanding Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 in three concerts with the TSO, apparently became ill earlier this week in Tucson, orchestra officials said. He will be replaced by Terrence Wilson 33, who performed the Rach 3 in September 2008 with the Eugene Symphony.

A review of the performance in the Eugene Register-Guard applauded Wilson’s technical proficiency and artistry. “Wilson, who used his whole body to elicit maximal sound from his instrument, delivered Rachmaninoff’s often complex, sometimes thickly scored solo lines with the kind of lucidity that one expects with Mozart, but doesn’t always get with Rachmaninoff,” the review raved.

Wilson, a native of New York, started his professional career a couple years before entering Julliard’s undergraduate program in 1994. His career has included appearances with the Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic and the Nashville Symphony, as well as numerous high-profile recitals including at Alice Tully Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

TSO Executive Director Susan Franano called the loss of Bidini “unfortunate,” but said the orchestra had Wilson on its “watch list” for some time.

“We were lucky that we were able to secure him on such short notice and we are excited to witness his Tucson premiere.” she said in a written release Tuesday afternoon.

TSO will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The concert also includes Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.

For tickets and more information, visit www.tucsonsymphony.org. (See review of today’s performance online at www.azstarnet.com on Friday and in Saturday’s Accent section.)