Yellowknife (Apr 07/06) - "He takes the soul of the composer, embraces it, and puts it into the piano."

Lofty words from Ardith Dean, president of the NWT Music Teacher's Association, as she introduced Russian-born pianist Boris Konovalov to the near-capacity audience at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre Tuesday.

Boris Konovalov performs classical piano Tuesday at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre. A large crowd took in his performance, which included pieces from Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt. - Adam Johnson/NNSL photo

As Konovalov took the stage, launching immediately into Mozart's Sonata in A Minor, it was easy to understand her enthusiasm. He attacked the piano with an animated stoicism; his hands and body striking and flourishing, while his face maintained a seasoned calm.

He never spoke or addressed the audience during his two-hour performance, other than to stand and bow between pieces. The only sounds to be heard from Konovalov were his deep inhales as he prepared for intense sections.

The audience responded in kind, watching and listening intently, but standing and cheering wildly as the night drew to a close.

Before the show, event co-ordinator Alice Hilchey said Konovalov intentionally chose better-known pieces for his current tour, which has taken him to Siberia, across Canada, and will lead him to Germany and Israel in the coming weeks.

"I wanted to prove the most popular pieces are popular because they are the best," he said after the performance. "I can always find new images and new directions in known things."

He said his favourite compliment is hearing someone say, "it was like hearing it for the first time."

This is Konovalov's fourth trip to Yellowknife, and he said he is always pleased with the response he gets. "A full house is the best reward for me," he said.

Other than his Tuesday performance and a smaller show today at Cavalry Church, Konovalov will also be running workshops for students and teachers in Yellowknife.

He said he enjoys returning to see previous students (and their teachers) grow and develop. Konovalov, who holds a doctorate in music from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, said he works hard to maintain his own skills, practising four or five hours every day.

"Music never stops. You always need to polish and develop," he said. "Once you stop, it is dying. The only time I am not practising is when I'm flying," he said with a laugh.