Though only 25 years old, the Moscow-born and Julliard-trained pianist has already performed at Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center, and the Louvre Museum in Paris, and for dignitaries including the presidents of Italy, Romania, Azerbaijan and the Prince of Jordan. He’s toured throughout the United States, Europe, and South Africa.

But how does a talent like this wind up in small-town Waynesville?

About three years ago, Haywood County Arts Council board member Steve Lampl got a call from his longtime friend Roger Samet in New York City.

Samet, who invests in young talents in the classical music field, told Lampl he had to come up to New York immediately to see an amazing Russian pianist who was, at the time, studying at the prestigious Julliard School.

Lampl didn’t doubt his friend’s gift of spotting and nurturing young talent, so he took the trip and was thrilled by what he saw.

“He’s a very exciting performer,” Lampl said.

And after several years of having local and regional pianists perform at the annual Classics & Chocolate event — a chocolate tasting and classical music concert organized by the Haywood County Arts Council — Lampl worked to book in a big-time name like Soukhovetski. Lampl even chose to underwrite the performance, paying for Soukhovetski’s flight and artistic fees.

Lampl also plans to take the pianist hiking and touring local attractions like the Biltmore Estate. On Friday, Aug. 11, Charles and Suzanne Brantley of Waynesville will host Soukhovetski at their Laurel Ridge home for a smaller performance with arts council donors in the Chairman’s Circle (gift-givers of $500 or more). Suzanne, a concert pianist, has a Steinway at her home to indulge about 75 guests and the visiting Soukhovetski.

The concert has created quite a local buzz, according to Haywood County Arts Council board members organizing the event. As of Monday this week, only a few dozen tickets were left in the 255-seat theatre.

“Haywood County has never had anybody of this caliber,” said Mary Alice Lodico, a member of the Haywood County Arts Council board’s piano committee.

It’s not just the music Lodico is looking forward to – it’s his gift of discussing the pieces that he loves to play.

“He seems to be very passionate about his ideas and his interpretations of the pieces,” Lodico said.

Soukhovetski, a graduate from The Juilliard School and a student under the tutelage of Jerome Lowenthal, is a recipient of the 2006 William Petschek Piano Debut Recital Award. In April, he made his Lincoln Center debut at Alice Tully Hall.

New York Times critic Jeremy Eichler wrote, “The artist ... has a strong romantic streak and was at his best in moments of lyrical reverie.”

In addition to his solo touring schedule, Soukhovetski has appeared with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Hilton Head Orchestra. Before coming to the United States in 1999, he toured France, Italy, Romania, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. He studied at the Moscow Central Special Music School from 1988 to 1999 when he entered Juilliard. He has received numerous awards including the first prize at the 2002 Hilton Head International Piano Competition.

The first half of Soukhovetski’s Haywood County program will include two Mozart sonatas and the Rondo in A-minor in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth. The second half of the concert will feature works by three great Russian composers: Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Scriabin.

Concert tickets are $20 each. A limited number of free student tickets are available for students age 25 and younger. There will be a special Classics & Chocolate reception following the concert. Area restaurants and local professional chefs will contribute some of their best chocolate desserts for sampling.

For more information about the concert, call the Haywood County Arts Council at 828.452.0593.