In the past six months, pianist Alexander Ghindin has performed 100 concerts. His performances have been heard at venues spanning from the Avery Fisher Hall in New York to Sumida Triphony Hall in Tokyo and Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

Now he's coming to Bismarck. "It is a real honor to have him in Bismarck," said Karen daSilva, executive director of the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra.

At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Ghindin will perform alongside the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra at the Belle Mehus Auditorium for musical selections "familiar to concert-goers,"said daSilva, beginning with Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro Overture" and Beethoven's "5th Symphony."

When he was 14, Ghindin won the International Tchaikovsky Competition, making him the youngest pianist ever to win the event. Today, the 31-year-old musician has recorded 15 CDs and has been featured on radio and TV programs in Russia, Japan and throughout Europe.

The Russian native has been in the Bismarck area this week practicing at Trinity Lutheran Church. "He has practiced from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. nonstop for the past two days,"said daSilva.

At one point, a praise and worship band unaware of the pianist began to play, and Ghindin retired to one of the church's education rooms. DaSilva arrived at the church to find Ghindin, who has played at the Kennedy Center in Washington, practicing on an old and perhaps out of tune instrument. "He's just happy to have a piano," she said, "because that's really what it is about."

Ghindin's appearance in Bismarck is made possible due to the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Symphony Orchestra's participation with the Cleveland International Piano Competition. Ghindin, the winner of the competition, was offered a solo contract.

Ghindin will perform Rachmaninoff's "Piano Concerto No. 2" at Saturday's concert, a piece written by a well-known Russian composer. "His solo is overwhelming … a powerful, powerful piece,"added daSilva.

For ticket information, contact the symphony office at 258-8345.

(Reach reporter Brian Jackson at brian.jackson@;bismarcktribune.com.)