May 23 at Lotte Concert Hall, May 24 at Seoul Arts Center
Kirill Gerstein to Perform Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) will present its second collaboration with Kirill Gerstein, known as "the world's busiest pianist."
The SPO will hold its regular concert, "2025 SPO Kirill Gerstein's Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2," at Lotte Concert Hall on May 23 and at Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on May 24.
Pianist Gerstein, who will perform the opening piece, Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2, was named the world's busiest pianist in 2023 by Bachtrack.
Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 is filled with sweeping romantic emotion. It is a grand work with symphonic scale and depth, where the piano and orchestra lead the music as equals. The performance time for its four movements is approximately 50 minutes. The concerto demands a high level of technical skill and stamina from the pianist, making it rarely performed live. In addition to the piano melodies, the piece features Brahms' signature lyricism, highlighted by the horn solo in the first movement and the cello solo in the third movement.
Gerstein won the Rubinstein Competition in 2001. He has served as artist-in-residence with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, spotlight artist with the London Symphony Orchestra, and artist-in-residence at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. He has performed on stages around the world with leading orchestras. Gerstein boasts a diverse repertoire ranging from Bach to Ades, and before establishing himself as a classical pianist, he studied jazz at Berklee.
The second half of the concert will feature Sibelius' Symphony No. 7, followed by the Korean premiere of John Adams' "Doctor Atomic Symphony," a work influenced by Sibelius' symphony.
Sibelius' Symphony No. 7 is his final symphony and departs from the traditional four-movement symphonic form, consisting instead of a single movement. It is regarded as an original masterpiece that translates the quiet and majestic flow of nature into music, rather than relying on dazzling technical display.
The "Doctor Atomic Symphony," which will have its Korean premiere, is a work by John Adams based on his opera "Doctor Atomic." Adams reimagined various scenes from the opera?including the protagonist Oppenheimer's signature aria "Batter My Heart"?by arranging them for orchestra. Like Sibelius' Symphony No. 7, this is a single-movement work structured in three sections, lasting 25 minutes. The music expresses the psychological conflicts of Robert Oppenheimer, a key figure in the development of nuclear weapons, including his anguish, fear, and despair.
The concert will be conducted by David Robertson, an American conductor renowned for his interpretations of contemporary music and a prot?g? of Pierre Boulez, who marks his 100th birth anniversary this year.
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