Daniil Trifonov, Piano

The silken legato line, glittering ornamentation, melancholy sighs, and sheer brio of dazzling pianism define Chopin’s music. The sensational young pianist Daniil Trifonov takes a deep dive into the Polish genius’s world and the music he inspired. Trifonov performs Chopin favorites, selections from Rachmaninoff’s dazzling variations, and more. The beauty and power of Chopin’s music is eternal, his influence inestimable. Trifonov shows us why.

Stephen Hough, Piano

Stephen Hough’s “scintillating technique and characteristically sparkling sound” paired with “imaginative intelligence” (The Guardian) make each of his performances gripping affairs. He tests his virtuosity and stamina in passionate storms summoned by Beethoven and Schumann, and draws from a vast palette of tonal colors for the refined and languid music of Debussy.

Mitsuko Uchida, Piano

Mitsuko Uchida—one of the great Schubert interpreters—reveals the sweet, unforced lyricism, depth of emotion, and technical brilliance of the master’s piano sonatas as she continues a two-season exploration of these works. Sudden harmonic shifts make the B-Major Sonata one of Schubert’s most daring early works in the form. The set of variations in the A-Minor Sonata have a fluid, songlike quality, while the D-Major Sonata is a technically brilliant work with a lighthearted finale.

Sir András Schiff, Piano

Twisting threads of counterpoint, effervescent wit, and melancholy laments define the music that spans Bach to Brahms on this program. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in B Minor are sublime, while the poignant tone and opening theme of Mozart's Rondo in A Minor prefigure Chopin. Forlorn episodes appear in Brahms’s final piano works, but also rays of sunshine, gentle cheer, and heroic resolve. Sir András Schiff is a master of this repertoire and “stands with perhaps only a handful of pianists in his total achievement of the most severe beauty” (The Philadelphia Inquirer).

Emanuel Ax, Piano

Daring invention, profound emotion, sizzling virtuosity, and flowing lyricism are all key elements in this program that spans Bach to Liszt. Emanuel Ax is “an extremely satisfying pianist; he is at home in a wide variety of music, and his pianism is always thoughtful, lyrical, lustrous” (The Washington Post). Mozart’s drama, Liszt’s poetry, Bach’s precision, and Beethoven’s brio are showcased by one of the great pianists of our day.