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The Sarasota Concert Association (SCA) will continue its 2014 season with Russia's his- toric St. Petersburg Philharmonic conducted by Nikolai Alexeev, with guest pianist Denis Kozhukhin, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 8 p.m. in the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, located at 777 N. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. The concert will feature works by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Giya Kancheli, a news release says. It will conclude with Tchaikovsky's iconic Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23. Individual tickets are $45, $55, $65 and $75. Tickets and information for the Great Performers Series, of which it will be a part, are available by calling 955-0040 or visiting scasarasota.org. "Few orchestras in the world possess the acclaim held by the St. Petersburg Philharmonic," the release points out. "Considered by many to be one of the world's greatest orchestras," it is Russia's oldest symphonic ensemble "and a beacon of the country's passion for art and music," the release notes. It was with this orches- tra that Tchaikovsky chose to premiere his Symphony No. 6 (Pathetique). Formed in 1882, the orchestra has been conducted by such luminaries as Richard Strauss, Bruno Walter and Hans Knappertsbusch, the release adds. From 1938 to 1988, the orchestra was led by the dynamic Russian conductor, Yvegeny Mravinsky. Known then as the Leningrad Philharmonic, it "built up a legendary repu- tation — in particular for its interpretations of Russian composers Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich," the release explains. The orchestra regained its current name in 1991 CONCERT ASSOCIATION TO PRESENT ST. PETERSBURG PHILHARMONIC The St. Petersburg Philharmonic will perform in Sarasota on Feb. 19. Contributed photo Sarasota News Leader February 14, 2014 Page 108