This marks the pair's first ever collaboration, recorded at the San Francisco Conservatory after observing strict quarantines
Pianists Garrick Ohlsson and Kirill Gerstein are set to premiere a two piano recital together at the San Francisco Conservatory Sunday 8 November.
This will be the first time the pair have performed together.
Gerstein, who appeared on the cover of issue 83 of Pianist, will travel from his home in Berlin to the San Francisco Conservatory and observe all necessary quarantines in order to participate in this recital. The programme features piano duos including Busoni’s rarely heard Fantasia contrappuntistica, Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances Op. 45, and Ravel’s La valse.
Ohlsson comments: “When my brilliant colleague Kirill Gerstein proposed our upcoming adventure for two pianos, how could I refuse? I had played lots of chamber music with other instruments, but very little double piano literature. Here we have re-castings of three important works by each composer, in their own arrangements.
The pandemic has altered performance circumstances but not our enthusiasm. We are eager to bring this exciting repertoire to you, our audience, now virtually, and hopefully live in the not-too-distant future.”
Gerstein agrees: “I am thrilled to collaborate with Garrick Ohlsson and to perform three seminal works in the two piano repertoire. I grew up admiring Garrick’s recording of the Busoni piano concerto and his pianism generally. It is a joy to share our musical and personal friendship with the audience of Shriver Hall, overcoming the difficulties of the current pandemic period.”
Concert access is available for three days following the concerts to all ticket holders. All ticket holders are also
invited to a post-concert chat with the artists, moderated by Executive Director of Shriver Hall Concert Series,
Catherine Cochran.
Main image: Garrick Ohlsson (left) & Kirill Gerstein (right). © Shriver Concerts