Kirill Gerstein is a showman, a philosopher, 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.

For his Brisbane concert, he is scaling new heights of virtuosity: Liszt’s power Polonaise in E and Schumann’s Viennese romp, Carnival of Vienna. 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.

Program

Chopin Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61
Mehldau Après Fauré No. 3: Nocturne
Fauré Nocturne No. 13 in B minor, Op. 119
Poulenc Three Intermezzi, FP71/118
Liszt Polonaise in E major, S. 223 No. 2
Chopin Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49
Liza Lim Transcendental Etude (2023)*
Schumann Carnival of Vienna, Op. 26

*World premiere performances. Commissioned by Musica Viva Australia with funds from the Hildegard Project, championing the work of female composers.