The Kazakhstani pianist was a late replacement for Grosvenor for Prom No 30 last night at the Royal Albert Hall, who was unfortunately struck down with illness
It's never nice to see a pianist have to step down from their concert due to illness.
British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor had to do just that this weekend, but thankfully he was replaced by one of the piano industry's most talented young pianists at the moment.
2021 Leeds International Piano Competition winner Alim Beisembayev stepped in to save the day, and he did not disappoint.
The Kazakhstani pianist performed Rachmaninov’s famous Second Piano Concerto on London's famous Royal Albert Hall stage last night, alongside conductor John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London.
A magical night of music from @SinfoniaOfLondn with soloist @alimbeisembayev conducted by John Wilson with music by Boulanger, Rachmaninov, Walton and encores by Stravinsky and Gershwin.
— BBC Proms (@bbcproms) August 7, 2023
📸 Chris Christodoulou pic.twitter.com/b4aRXKbeOo
It was a night to remember for Alim, who performed the concerto with stunning passion and precision.
The pianist's career took off back in 2021 when he was crowned winner of the famous Leeds International Piano Competition. He's certainly no stranger to Rachmaninov; he won the competition with an electrifying and thoughtful performance of Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
You can listen to his full BBC Proms performance on BBC Sounds here.
