- Biography
- Repertoire
- Discography
- The Beethoven Effect
- Reviews
- Itinerary
- Media
Praised for their “stirring performances of rare repertory” (Fanfare), the acclaimed team of Anna and Dmitri Shelest traces its roots to Ukraine’s prestigious Kharkiv Special Music School. At their Carnegie Hall debut in February, 2018, the duo’s CD release of “Ukrainian Rhapsody” brought renewed international attention to the music of their homeland. Subsequently, that recording has been featured as the Album of the Week on radio stations throughout the United States, including WCRB (Boston) and KUSC (Los Angeles). Having been classmates since middle school, the artists began performing together after their marriage in the United States. Their inventive programs brought them to a broad array of venues from concert stages to state functions, and, in the words of then-Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, “realized diplomacy through music.”
Anna and Dmitri Shelest and their two sons make their home in New York City.
MOZART
Concerto #10 in E-flat for 2 Pianos. K. 365
POULENC
Concerto for 2 Pianos
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“UKRAINIAN RHAPSODY” Lysenko: Suite on Ukrainian Themes, Op. 2 Sorel Classics: SC CD 011 |
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“TUTTI” - SHELEST PIANO DUO Smetana: The Moldau Sorel Classics: SC CD 002 |
The Beethoven Effect
A Piano Four-Hands Concert Commemorating the 200th Anniversary
of the Death of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Marking the bicentennial of Beethoven’s death, The Beethoven Effect explores the remarkable legacy of his music through the intimate, yet powerful, medium of piano four-hands. During the 19th Century, arrangements for piano duet were the primary way audiences experienced symphonic music outside of the concert hall. Through these transcriptions, as well as works by composers deeply influenced by Beethoven, this program traces how his rhythmic drive, dramatic contracts and expressive depth shaped the Romantic imagination. Heard at the keyboard, these orchestral masterworks reveal both their structural brilliance and their enduring impact on generations of composers.
2027 Anniversary Program
| Symphony No. 5 in c minor, Op. 67 I. Allegro con brio |
Ludwig van Beethoven arranged by Carl Czerny approx. 8 minutes |
| Ouverture caractéristique et brillante in b minor, Op. 54 | Carl Czerny (1791-1857) arranged by the composer approx. 7 minutes |
| Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 (“Pastoral”) IV. Thunderstorm |
Ludwig van Beethoven arranged by Xaver Scharwenka, 1850-1924 approx 13 minutes |
| Scherzo from A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) arranged by the composer approx. 5 minutes |
| Symphony No. 9 in d minor, Op. 125 (“Choral”) II. Molto vivace (Scherzo) |
Ludwig van Beethoven arranged by Xaver Scharwenka approx. 9 minutes |
| ------------Intermission------------ | |
| Symphony No. 2 in c minor (“Resurrection”) II. Andante moderato |
Gustav Mahler arranged by Bruno Walter, 1876-1962 approx. 13 minutes |
| Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 II. Allegretto |
Ludwig van Beethoven arranged by Xaver Scharwenka approx. 8 minutes |
| Les Préludes | Franz Liszt (1811-1886) arranged by the composer approx. 14 minutes |
An enthusiastic full house in South Windsor [CT] was treated to a captivating debut appearance by acclaimed Ukrainian-born pianists Anna and Dmitri Shelest. The power of their combined sound in climaxes had an almost orchestral sonority. The charismatic stage presence of both performers was apparent not only in their carefully balanced playing but in the personal engagement with which they alternately introduced each musical selection, highlighting how profoundly both their home (the US) and homeland (Ukraine) have shaped the duo's artistry.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
A new piano duo on the scene is the Ukrainian-born, and now New York-based couple, Anna and Dmitri Shelest. Shelest Piano Duo have released their first recording, TUTTI, with substantial standard repertoire items. Among the disc’s highlights are Liszt’s own arrangement of his Les Préludes played with consistent brilliance and sensitivity through to its magnificent conclusion. Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony Allegro is an impressive display of melody and countermelody beautifully balanced and phrased. [In Ravel’s La Valse], the Shelests capture the chaos and complexity familiar in the orchestral version and bring it to a stunning finish.
THE WHOLE NOTE MAGAZINE
Anna and Dmitri Shelest make a welcome return to this column with their latest recording, Ukrainian Rhapsody. As a piano duo they occupy less than half the disc, giving the majority of the program to Anna alone for some rarely heard works by Ukrainian composers. This is raw pianism and as thrilling as four hands performance can get. Be warned - it will knock you right off your seat!
THE WHOLE NOTE MAGAZINE
| 9/27/2025 (7:30pm) | THE WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL/THE WOODSTOCK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (NY) Woodstock Playhouse |
| 9/28/2025 (2:30pm) | ARTS IN THE VILLAGE (Rehoboth, MA) Goff Memorial Hall Franck/Decaux: Prelude, Fugue & Variation |
| 10/17/2025 (7:30pm) | UKRAINIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL (NYC) Faust Harrison Pianos music of Sergei Bortkiewicz |
| 11/2/2025 (7:30pm) | MANNES SCHOOL OF MUSIC, THE NEW SCHOOL (NYC) Ernst C. Stiefel Concert Hall, Arnhold Hall Chaminade: Concertstück |
| 11/9/2025 (6pm) | NEW ASIA CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY - 10TH ANNUAL BENEFIT GALA private event (NYC) Chaminade: Pièces romantiques (selections) |
| 2/10/2026 (6:30pm) | PIANO EVENINGS WITH DAVID DUBAL Grace & St. Paul’s Church (NYC) J.S. Bach/Revutsky: Organ Fantasie in c (Anna Shelest) |
| 3/2/2026 (7pm) | NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY CHOIR Katie Barton, conductor Brahms: Ein deutches Requiem |
| 3/22/2026 (2pm) | SOUTH WINDSOR CULTURAL ARTS (CT) Evergreen Crossings Retirement Community Theatre Bernstein/Harmon: Candide (overture) |
| 3/29/2026 (3pm) | THE CEDARS CLASSICAL CONCERT SERIES (Chapel Hill, NC) The Cedars Room, The Cedars of Chapel Hill Bernstein/Harmon: Candide (overture) |
| 5/21/2026 (7pm) | RUTHMERE (Elkart, IN) Ruthmere Game Room |
| 7/11/2026 (7:30pm) | ADIRONDACK LAKES CENTER FOR THE ARTS (Blue Mountain Lake, NY) |
| 9/4/2026 (7pm) | SHERIDAN COLLEGE (WY) Kinnison Hall, Whitney Center for the Arts |
| 11/15/2026 (3pm) | FRIENDS OF MUSIC OF STAMFORD, NY First Presbyterian Church of Stamford |
| 1/8/2027 (7pm) | THE CONCERT SERIES AT CORNWALL MANOR (Lebanon, PA) Freeman Auditorium, Freeman Community Center |
| 1/14/2027 (7:30pm) | THE PEGGY ROCKEFELLER CONCERT SERIES Caspary Auditorium, The Rockefeller University (NYC) |
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Bernstein/Harmon: Candide (overture) |
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Copland/Lerner: Variations on a Shaker Melody |
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Poulenc: Concerto for 2 Pianos & Orchestra (mvt. III: Allegro molto) |
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Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue |
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Arensky: Polichinelle |
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Liszt: Les Préludes |