There have been a few musicians who have left a lasting legacy on Utah’s cultural scene.

Paul Pollei

One remarkable artist who left his mark in Utah is Paul Pollei, founder and director of the Gina Bachauer Piano Competition. From its humble beginnings at Brigham Young University in 1976, Pollei elevated it to where it now is one of the foremost competitions in the United States, if not the world.

“Paul had a passion for what he did,” said Bachauer executive director Kary Billings. “He was in high demand as a teacher and educator and through his work and dedication he touched everyone.”

Pollei passed away last year and to honor his memory the Gina Bachauer Foundation decided to name its recital series after him. “It was the right thing to do,” said Billings, who started studying piano with Pollei when he was 12 years old. “We had to honor Paul’s legacy.”

The artists at this year’s series all have some connection to Pollei. The first pianist to appear, Faina Lushtak, had known Pollei for years. “When Paul met her he encouraged her to enter the competition,” Billings said. She didn’t win gold but the competition was the start of a lifelong friendship with Pollei. “She has been a judge in many Bachauer competitions over the years,” Billings said. “She is a wonderful teacher [at Tulane University in New Orleans] and a great composer.”

Faina Lushtak

In fact, when Lushtak competed she played some of her own compositions. “When I heard that I thought to myself, ‘Can you do that?’ And, of course, you can,” Billings said. In the following years, several participants have played their own works as part of their Bachauer competition repertoire.

Lushtak will be in Salt Lake City on Oct. 10, playing a wide ranging program of  works from Mozart to Prokofiev; and she has included some of her own pieces as well. “This is a beautiful program,” Billings said. “There is great variety of pieces and it’s all very intimate.”

On the program are a couple of works that aren’t played in recital very often. One of them is Prokofiev’s Third Sonata. Known for his demanding piano music, the Third is small in scope and much more inviting than some of his other sonatas, Billings said.

Another infrequently played work is Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons. “When you think of Tchaikovsky you think of his symphonies and concertos and ballet music. The Seasons is a delightful work.” Lushtak will play “April,” “August,” “October” and “December.” “In ‘December’ you get hints of The Nutcracker.”

Billings described Lushtak’s playing as bold but also expressive. “She is Russian-born and trained so her approach is, of course, Russian. There’s great beauty in her playing but also great intensity.” He also said that the program should appeal to everyone. “This is a family concert. There is a big focus on youth.”

The next recital after Lushtak’s takes place in February 2015 and features Michael Gurt, the gold medalist at the 1982 Bachauer competition. “He was the first gold medalist after the competition moved to Salt Lake City from Provo,” Billings said. “He’s played here many times. He is a powerful player who brings a lot of passion to his performances.”

In March 2015, Andrey Gugnin returns to Salt Lake City in his first appearance after winning the gold medal at last year’s competition.

Rounding out the series in May will be the American Piano Quartet, a group that Pollei formed when he was teaching at BYU. “It was Paul who rediscovered this medium,” Billings said. “He scoured libraries all over searching for music for piano quartet [two pianos eight hands]. He single handedly revitalized this repertoire.”

Below is the series’ schedule. All recitals take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Jeanné Wagner Theatre in the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $20 for general, $15 for seniors and $8 for students. A series pass costs $60. Tickets can be purchased by calling 801-355-2787 or 888-451-2787 or by logging on to www.arttix.org.

• Oct. 10 – Faina Lushtak; program includes works by Mozart, Schumann, Liszt, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and Lushtak.
• Feb. 13, 2015 – Michael Gurt, 1982 Bachauer gold medalist.
• March 13, 2015 – Andrey Gugnin, 2014 Bachauer gold medalist.
• May 8, 2015 – American Piano Quartet.