Daniil Trifonov, Piano’s “Tender Demon”, Debuts with Four North American Orchestras, Tours With Gidon Kremer, and Returns to Carnegie Hall in 2014-15
Pianist Daniil Trifonov burst on to the classical music scene as recently as 2011 but has quickly won the admiration of fellow musicians, superlative reviews, and acclaim as the most gifted player of his generation. His 2014-15 season shows the 23-year-old continuing to develop his repertory, extend his international reputation, build relationships with high-caliber artists, and demonstrate his versatility in solo, chamber and orchestral programs. The season includes performances at Carnegie Hall, orchestral debuts in Seattle, Toronto, Atlanta and Dallas, appearances with the Vienna, Cleveland, Chicago, and Philharmonia symphony orchestras, solo recitals in Munich and London’s Royal Festival Hall, and a pair of tours with Gidon Kremer and the violinist’s orchestra, Kremerata Baltica.
Trifonov has earned a reputation as “tender demon”; as legendary pianist Martha Argerich said of him: “He has everything and more. What he does with his hands is technically incredible. It’s also his touch – he has tenderness and also the demonic element. I never heard anything like that.” This rare combination of extreme sensitivity and sheer power is the theme of many of the rave reviews Trifonov has won. Michael Church wrote in the Financial Times of Trifonov’s 2012 Verbier Festival appearance, “It’s not just a matter of precision and weighting, it’s a unique amalgam of fastidious tenderness and seemingly unfettered wildness.” Including him in her Top 20 World’s Greatest Pianists selection for Sinfini Music, Jessica Duchen wrote, “His playing, vividly imagined, immensely sensitive and thrilling in its energy, puts him potentially in line with the finest of his forerunners.“
Trifonov starts his season performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ludovic Morlot (Sep 18-20), and plays the same work later in the year with the Mariinsky Orchestra under Valery Gergiev in Nagoya and Saitama, Japan (Oct 16 & 18). Richard Morrison of The Times wrote of Trifonov’s 2012 recording of the work with Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra, “His performance of the Tchaikovsky warhorse is nuanced but not mannered, virtuosic without being showy, and powerful yet not hammered, as many young Russian pianists do.”
Trifonov has benefited from the musical support of Gergiev since the early days of his career, and this season he further develops another powerful musical partnership, with the Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer. Together they tour North America with a typically varied program of Mozart, Glass, Weinberg and Schubert, starting in Princeton (Jan 5) and finishing in style in the Stern Auditorium of Carnegie Hall (Jan 23). European audiences also have a chance to hear the program, which the duo brings to Brussels (April 28) and Paris (May 5). The relationship develops in an orchestral context too, as Trifonov performs Chopin Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 with Kremer and his innovative ensemble, Kremerata Baltica. Their German and Swiss tour starts in Frankfurt (Feb 10) and ends in Munich (Feb 21). Trifonov has won great praise for his Chopin concerto interpretations. Neil Fisher from The Times (London) wrote of an April 2014 performance: “His performance of the F minor concerto dealt in small miracles that made up a thrilling bigger picture. The Mozartian elegance of the first movement flowered into a gorgeous tapestry of light and shade, tension and release. Above all, Trifonov tapped into Chopin’s sense of freedom at the piano, and his joy in its potential.”
Trifonov’s season also showcases his signature interpretations of Rachmaninoff. He performs Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in his debut with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under Jaap van Zweden (March 26-29); for his return to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov (April 16-21); and Piano Concerto No. 3 with the London-based Philharmonia Orchestra under Vladimir Ashkenazy (May 15-17). He joins the Vienna Symphony Orchestra to perform Rachmaninoff’s Second Concerto under Gianandrea Noseda (Nov 11 & 12), makes his debut with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra playing Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with Asher Fisch conducting (Jan 8 & 10). He also makes his Cleveland Orchestra subscription concerts debut with Jahja Ling in a work by another Russian composer: Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (March 19-22).
Trifonov is equally at home in solo repertory, and will be touring around the world with a program of works all new to him, including Bach, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111 and Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes. He begins his tour at London’s Royal Festival Hall (Sep 30), making several stops in Japan and Korea (Oct 8-21), and then on to Scandinavia, Russia and Europe, including a visit to Munich’s Prinzregententheater (Dec 5), with a much-anticipated return to the Carnegie Hall on December 9.
Trifonov has proved a favorite at the famous venue; his first two solo recitals sold out and this is his recital in three seasons there. His concert will be broadcast live on WQXR and streamed live at wqxr.org. His momentous Carnegie debut in 2013 was released on CD by Deutsche Grammophon, marking his first venture as an exclusive artist for the label, and Trifonov: The Carnegie Recital has received superlative reviews around the world. Geoffrey Norris of The Guardian wrote: “It is not merely the power and dexterity of Trifonov’s playing that make such an arresting impression, though the torrents of octaves in both the right hand and the left towards the end of the Liszt are astonishing in their brilliance, boldness and bravura. Rather, the key thing here is that Trifonov can harness his digital strength, stamina and skill to a highly developed sense of the music’s expressive substance.”
The electricity Trifonov generates on stage is visible in two recent medici.tv streams of performances from last month’s Verbier Festival, where Trifonov was soloist in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and presented an intimate recital featuring works by Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and Schumann. Anne Midgette described this powerful physical presence in a profile of the young pianist in the Washington Post in March 2014: “… pale of skin, lank brown hair hanging down the back of his head, bending and bobbing and weaving over the keys while his long, slender fingers caress and thunder and draw out and press down until every drop of music is wrung out.” She compared him with both Liszt and Rachmaninoff, and he has also been likened to Chopin. As Elijah Ho of the San Francisco Examiner described in 2012: “The pianist delivers by authentic means, and there is a sense of artistry and thoughtfulness that never wavers. Rarely does a performer come along who brings forth the most powerful comprehensive qualities of each composer they are playing. Daniil Trifonov has this ability; he is a generational talent.”
Further information can be found at the artist’s web site: daniiltrifonov.com
Trifonov performance dates 2014-15
Aug 30
Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh Festival
Queen’s Hall
Stravinsky: Serenade in A
Ravel: Selections from Miroirs
Liszt: Transcendental Etudes S. 139
Aug 31
Lucerne, Switzerland
Lucerne Festival
Mariinsky Orchestra / Valery Gergiev
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2
Sep 1
Basel, Switzerland
AMG-Solistenabende
Stravinsky: Serenade in A
Debussy: Selections from Images Book I
Ravel: Selections from Miroirs
Liszt: Transcendental Etudes S. 139
Sep 4
Munich, Germany
Philharmonie Gasteig
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden / Christian Thielemann
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1
Sep 18-20
Seattle, WA
Benaroya Hall
Seattle Symphony Orchestra (debut) / Ludovic Morlot
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
Sep 25-27
Toronto, ON, Canada
Roy Thomson Hall
Toronto Symphony Orchestra (debut)/ Peter Oundjian
Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Sep 30 – Oct 21
Recitals in UK & Asia
Bach: TBD
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111
Liszt: Transcendental Etudes S. 139
Sep 30: London, England (Royal Festival Hall)
Oct 1: Birmingham, England
Oct 8: Okayama, Japan (Okayama Hall)
Oct 10: Hyogo, Japan
Oct 12: Tokyo, Japan (Musashino)
Oct 13: Yokohama, Japan (Minato Mirai Hall)
Oct 14: Seoul, Korea (Seoul Arts Center)
Oct 21: Tokyo, Japan (Tokyo Opera City)
Oct 16
Nagoya, Japan
Nagoya Hall
Mariinsky Orchestra / Valery Gergiev
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
Oct 18
Saitama, Japan
Tokorozawa
Mariinsky Orchestra / Valery Gergiev
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
Oct 19
Chiba, Japan
Aoba no Mori
Stravinsky: Serenade in A
Tchaikovsky: Theme and Variations Op. 19
Rachmaninoff: Variations on a Theme by Chopin Op. 22
Schumann: Symphonic Etudes Op. 13, including Opus Posthumous No. 1, 4, and 5
Oct 29 – Nov 8
Recitals in UK & Europe
Bach: TBD
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111
Liszt: Transcendental Etudes S. 139
Oct 29: Manchester, England (Bridgewater Hall)
Oct 31: Stuttgart, Germany (Liederhalle)
Nov 2: Stockholm, Sweden (Konserthuset)
Nov 4: Barcelona, Spain (Palau de la Musica)
Nov 7: Lyon, France (Auditorium Maurice Ravel)
Nov 8: Paris, France (Théâtre des Champs Élysées)
Nov 11 & 12
Vienna, Austria
Konzerthaus
Wiener Symphoniker / Gianandrea Noseda
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2
Nov 14 – Nov 25
Recitals in Italy & Russia
Stravinsky: Serenade in A
Ravel: Selections from Miroirs
Liszt: Transcendental Etudes S. 139
Nov 14: Rome, Italy (Parco della Musica)
Nov 21: Ekaterinburg, Russia
Nov 23: Perm, Russia
Nov 25: Moscow, Russia (Conservatory Great Hall)
Nov 27 – Dec 8
Recitals in Germany & Italy
Bach: TBD
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111
Liszt: Transcendental Etudes S. 139
Nov 27: Frankfurt, Germany (Alte Oper)
Nov 29: Firenze, Italy (Teatro alla Pergola)
Dec 5: Munich, Germany (Prinzregententheater)
Dec 9
New York, NY
Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium
Bach: TBD
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111
Liszt: Transcendental Etudes S. 139
WQXR live broadcast
Dec 22
Moscow, Russia
Pushkin Museum
Bach: TBD
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111
Liszt: Transcendental Etudes S. 139
Dec 30; Jan 2, 3 & 6
New York, NY
Avery Fisher Hall
New York Philharmonic / Juanjo Mena
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 1
Jan 5 – 23, 2015
U.S. Recital Tour with Gidon Kremer
Mozart: Violin Sonata in E-Flat Major, K. 481
Glass: Violin Sonata
Weinberg: Violin Sonata No. 3
Schubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934
Jan 5: Princeton, NJ (McCarter Theater Center)
Jan 13: Berkeley, CA (Cal Performances)
Jan 14: Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Jan 15: La Jolla, CA (La Jolla Music Society)
Jan 17: Beverly Hills, MI (Seligman Performing Arts Center)
Jan 18: Baltimore, MD (Shriver Hall)
Jan 20: Toronto, ON, Canada (Koerner Hall)
Jan 21: Chapel Hill, NC (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Jan 23: New York, NY (Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium)
Jan 8 & 10
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Symphony Hall
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (debut) / Asher Fisch
Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Jan 28 – Feb 1
Spain tour with Philharmonia Orchestra / Clemens Schuldt
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2
Jan 28: Madrid, Spain (Auditorio Nacional)
Jan 29: Barcelona, Spain (L’Auditori)
Jan 30: Oviedo, Spain
Feb 1: Valencia, Spain (Palau de la Música)
Feb 3 – 5
Recitals in Spain
Feb 3: Bilbao, Spain (Sociedad Filarmónica)
Feb 4: Lisbon, Portugal (Fundacao Gulbenkian)
Feb 5: Valladolid, Spain (Centro Cultural Miguel Delibes)
Feb 10 – 21
European tour with Kremerata Baltica
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2
Feb 10: Frankfurt, Germany (Alte Oper)
Feb 11: Essen, Germany (Philharmonie)
Feb 12: Neumarkt, Germany
Feb 13: Stuttgart, Germany (Liederhalle)
Feb 15: Mannheim, Germany (Rosengarten)
Feb 16: Geneva, Switzerland (Victoria Hall)
Feb 18: Hamburg, Germany (Goette)
Feb 19: Berlin, Germany (Philharmonie)
Feb 21: Munich, Germany (Prinzregententheater)
Feb 25-27
Prague, Czech Republic
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra / Jirí Belohlávek
Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
March 13
Boston, MA
Jordan Hall
Celebrity Series of Boston
Bach: TBD
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111
Liszt: Transcendental Etudes S. 139
March 19-22
Cleveland, OH
Severance Hall (debut)
Cleveland Orchestra / Jahja Ling
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 1
March 26-29
Dallas, TX
Meyerson Symphony Center
Dallas Symphony Orchestra (debut) / Jaap van Zweden
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 1
April 2-4
Washington, DC
Kennedy Center
National Symphony Orchestra / Krzysztof Urbanski
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3
Apr 10
La Jolla, CA
Museum of Contemporary Art
Bach: TBD
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111
Liszt: Transcendental Etudes S. 139
April 12
Aliso Viejo, CA
Soka Performing Arts Center
Bach: TBD
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111
Liszt: Transcendental Etudes S. 139
April 16-21
Chicago, IL
Symphony Hall
Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Semyon Bychkov
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 1
April 26
London, England
Southbank Centre
Philharmonia Orchestra / Yuri Temirkanov
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 1
April 28
Brussels, Belgium
Palais des Beaux-Arts
Recital with Gidon Kremer
Mozart: Violin Sonata in E-Flat Major, K. 481
Glass: Violin Sonata
Weinberg: Violin Sonata No. 3
Schubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934
April 29
Brussels, Belgium
Palais des Beaux-Arts
Kremerata Baltica
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1
Weinberg: Piano Quintet
May 5
Paris, France
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
Recital with Gidon Kremer
Mozart: Violin Sonata in E-Flat Major, K. 481
Glass: Violin Sonata
Weinberg: Violin Sonata No. 3
Schubert: Fantasy in C Major, D. 934
May 13
Mestre, Italy
Teatro Toniolo
Bach: TBD
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111
Liszt: Transcendental Etudes S. 139
May 15-17
London, England
Southbank Centre
Philharmonia Orchestra / Vladimir Ashkenazy
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3
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