By Paul Horsley

Just as Kansas Citians often think of themselves as residing at a geographic and a spiritual center-point of the United States, Macedonians characterize their nation as occupying a special place at the heart of Europe. So it’s especially apt that in 2004 the late Richard Harriman, whose mind was always working several steps ahead, chose Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski to inaugurate the Harriman-Jewell Series’ path-forging Discovery Series. On November 22nd at the Folly Theater, as part of the 50th anniversary season of the series the Richard and fellow William Jewell College professor Dean Dunham founded in 1965, the Harriman-Jewell Series brings Simon to town for his first local recital in a decade. The program, the first of four free Discovery Concerts for 2014-2015, stands as a testament to Richard’s prescience as presenter and to his lifelong dedication to making classical music accessible to all.

“When I have to describe Macedonia in a couple of words,” Simon said recently just hours before a concert in Strasbourg, Switzerland, “I say this: It’s a Bible country, it’s the country of Alexander the Great, and it’s a country of great food, wine and women. So: Welcome!” His hearty laugh underscored the warmth of the people of this proud, ancient, multi-ethnic republic, once a part of Yugoslavia and a stone’s throw from Serbia, Greece, Albania and even southern Italy. That same warmth, which Simon says visitors experience when visiting Macedonia and his home town of Skopje, reminds him of the reception he received here. “I have wonderful memories of Kansas City, and of the hospitality of Mr. Harriman—who is no longer with us though his rich spirit lives on, I’m sure, in the great hospitality and warmth of the audience. I am really glad to be invited back here to be a part of this great series again.”

Simon’s 2004 recital here emphasized Russian music, capitalizing on the strengths of his training at the Faculty of Music in Skopje (where he would later teach), and it stands out in my mind still for the clarity, control, transparency and fire of Simon’s Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky. But his strengths range widely, from the depths of the Germanic repertoire to the poetry of Chopin and French music. This time around he’ll play Brahms (the early Handel Variations and the later Op. 117 Intermezzi), Ravel (Valses nobles) and Poulenc, “What impresses me about French composers is the amazing musical tools that they use in the expression of such coloristic music: the power they have to make a ‘painting’ with musical sound, or an incredibly powerful description of nature, of natural phenomena.”

Simon Trpceski performs November 22nd at the Folly Theater, as the first of four Discovery Concerts celebrating the Harriman-Jewell Series’ 50th anniversary. The repertoire for this recital, with music by Brahms, Ravel and Poulenc, will be released next year on the Wigmore Hall Live label.

Also on the Discovery Concert series is the string quintet SYBARITE5 (December 12th), 2013 Gina Bachauer Piano Competition winner Yun-Chin Zhou (January 24th) and pianist Zhang Zuo (March 7th). All are at the Folly Theater and are free; reserve tickets at 816-415-5025 or hjseries.org. Also see Simon’s page at trpceski.com.

To reach Paul Horsley email phorsley@sbcglobal.net or find him on Facebook (paul.horsley.501).

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