The “Dueling Pianos” benefit concert held on March 23 at St. Louis Church was a showcase of extraordinary talent, leaving a lasting Polish flavor in the air. Sponsored by the Polish Singers Alliance and the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo, with a grant from Buffalo Council Member Mitch Nowakowski, the event captivated the audience with its rich musical offerings.
The performance kicked off with 12-year-old Abigail Budnack, who dazzled the crowd with Paderewski’s “Minuet in G” Opus 14 No. 1. Her mature interpretation far exceeded her years, impressing both the audience and the mistress of ceremonies, Mary Lou Wyrobek, who remarked, “Paderewski would be proud.” Budnack, a student of Rasa Stalygiene at Buffalo Suzuki Strings in North Tonawanda, set the tone for the afternoon.
The piano duel soon followed, with Melanie Bebak, assistant director of the Chopin Singing Society, offering four reflective pieces from various composers. Her performance, full of tenderness, deeply resonated with the audience. Nicholas Kaponyas, a New York City-based collaborative pianist and adjunct faculty member at Queens College and New York University, took the stage next with “Three Pieces,” Opus 2 by Alexander Scriabin. Kaponyas highlighted Scriabin’s Chopin-influenced style, delivering a soothing performance that further captivated the crowd.
The duo then turned to the works of Chopin, with both artists offering selections from Chopin’s Opus 74, a series of songs set to the poetry of the composer’s contemporaries. Kaponyas’s bass voice paired beautifully with Bebak’s soprano voice, creating a perfect blend of musical harmony.
Kaponyas briefly shifted to Moniuszko for a performance of the lovely “Piesn Wieczorna” (Evening Song). However, some technical difficulties with the microphone interrupted the performance slightly. The duo then turned to more dramatic pieces, with Bebak performing Chopin’s “Military Polonaise,” Opus 40 No. 1, a triumphant work filled with grandeur, while Kaponyas wowed the audience with Grazyna Bacewicz’s “Piano Sonata No. 2” – Maestoso, which began with a powerful intensity that immediately grabbed the listeners’ attention.
The program concluded with two four-hand piano pieces: Moszkowski’s “Polonaise in B minor” Opus 55 No. 3 and Paderewski’s “Tatra Album” Opus 14 No. 1. The exceptional chemistry between the musicians had the audience applauding vigorously, with many commenting that it felt as though the duo had been rehearsing together for much longer, despite the fact that they had only met briefly before the concert—one residing in Buffalo, the other in Brooklyn.
A special feature of the duel was an audience grading system, in which Bebak, a hometown favorite, earned an impressive 4.7 out of 5, while Kaponyas scored 4.6. Some of the scoring sheets praised the duo with comments such as “Bravo” and “So talented.”
The afternoon concluded with a meet-and-greet reception, where the artists basked in the well-deserved compliments from concertgoers. Music director Frank Scinta graciously hosted the event, and the grandeur of St. Louis Church only added to the enjoyment of the performance.
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