Frédéric Chopin — Polonaise-fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61

Gabriel Fauré — Nocturne No. 13 in B minor, Op. 119

Francis Poulenc — Three Intermezzi, FP71/118

Franz Liszt — Polonaise in E major, S. 223 No. 2

Robert Schumann — Carnival of Vienna, Op. 26

Liza Lim — Transcendental Etude (2023) (Commissioned by MVA)

Leopold Godowsky — Symphonic Metamorphoses No.2: Die Fledermaus

Kirill Gerstein is a showman, a philosopher and a poet of the piano. He grew up playing jazz, switched to classical and won the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition at just 22. Since then, he has carved out a formidable reputation as a fearless artist who makes the impossible sound easy.

Kirill Gerstein’s heritage combines the traditions of Russian, American and Central European music-making, and partners them with his insatiable artistic curiosity. These qualities and the relationships that he has developed with renowned orchestras, conductors, instrumentalists, singers and composers, have led him to explore a huge spectrum of repertoire both new and old. Gerstein’s playing is distinguished by a ferocious technique and discerning intelligence, matched with an energetic, imaginative musical presence that places him at the top of his profession.

For this seven-city solo recital tour he is scaling new heights of virtuosity: Liszt’s power Polonaise in E, Schumann’s Viennese romp, Carnival of Vienna, and the wildly difficult, wildly entertaining transcriptions of eccentric piano nerd, Leopold Godowsky. In the same program, he dives deep into the profundity of Chopin’s Polonaise Fantaisie, and gives the world premiere of Transcendental Etude, a new commission from Australian Liza Lim.

Kirill Gerstein | Piano