This event is a collaboration between the Asheville Chamber Music Series and the Asheville Art Museum featuring North Carolina musicians embarking on a major concert career.

Pianist: Cristian Makhuli

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Repertoire:

Schumann Arabeske in C major, Op. 18

Schumann Humoreske Op. 20

Intermission

Mozart Fantasy in D minor K. 397

Mozart Sonata No. 18 in D major, K. 576

Chopin Variation on “Là ci darem la mano”, Op. 2

ABOUT THE RISING STAR

Cristian Makhuli, 20, is studying at Yale University, pursuing degrees in music and physics. His musical journey began at the age of nine and at 13 years old, Cristian made his orchestral debut with the Winston-Salem Symphony. Born and raised in Charlotte, NC, Cristian is the pianist and founding member of the Charlotte Piano Trio, a 501(c) organization committed to providing professional-level community concerts throughout the Carolinas.

He has been recognized as a National Young Arts winner and a National MTNA Competition Finalist. Last summer, Cristian attended Les Écoles d’Art Américaines de Fontainebleau as the Robert Casadesus fellow where he studied with Robert Levin. While in France, he was a prizewinner in the Prix Ravel alongside his Curtis classmates Anaïs Feller and Carson Ling-Efird who together form the Orbit Trio. He also was a fellow at the 2024 Gilmore Festival where he studied with Piotr Anderszewski and Kirill Gerstein. In 2023, he received the Ronit Amir Lowenthal Scholarship to study as a fellow at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA, where he studied with Jeremy Denk and Conor Hanick. At Music Academy, he was involved in the World Premier of Samuel Carl Adams’ Études in Hahn Hall. He has spent previous summers at the Aspen Music Festival and the SouthEastern Piano Festival.

Prior to his studies at Yale, Cristian studied at the Curtis Institute of Music under the tutelage of Mr. Robert McDonald where he was named the William A. Horn M.D. fellow. He went to high school at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied with Dr. Dmitri Vorobiev. His childhood mentor was Dr. Paul Nitsch from Queens University of Charlotte who sowed the seeds for his artistic curiosity. Upcoming performances include appearances at the Asheville Chamber Music Rising Stars Series, Charlotte Bach Festival, and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra during their upcoming season.

For more information, visit his website http://cristianmakhuli.com , and Instagram @‌cristianmakhuli.