BHC Concert Series presents Melodiya Chamber Ensemble

Featuring Sergei Ratichenkov on viola and Arkadi Serper on piano About the Artists: Sergey Rakitchenkov was born in Moscow and attended the Central School for Musically Gifted Children. He graduated with honors from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Fyodor Druzhinin. For fifteen years he performed with the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, rising to become Principal of the viola section. In 1980 he won the prestigious All-Union Musical Competition. In 1987, weeks after immigrating to the United States with his wife, Olga, and daughter, Lisa, he won a position in the viola section of the San Francisco Opera where he served as the Associate Principal Chair. He recently retired and performs at special events in the Bay Area and in Europe as a soloist. Arkadi Serper received his music education in Russia at the Gnesin State Musical College and Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. He enjoys a distinguished career as a pianist, composer and educator. He teaches Piano and Composition and Music Theory at the San Francisco Conservatory in the Pre-College Department and has a private studio with thriving students in both piano and composition. He has written and published choral music for Kairos Youth Choir and compositions in original musical theatre. As an acclaimed composer, his symphonic and chamber compositions have been produced by several major orchestras. As a pianist, he continues to perform concerts, both as a soloist and chamber musician, locally and internationally. Learn more at hillsideclub.org