Klavier-Festival Ruhr presents Hélène Grimaud and Konstantin Krimmel. The young baritone, a member of the ensemble of the Bavarian State Opera, is pursuing a stellar career and developing into one of the most important Lied singers of our time. Hélène Grimaud has been performing the music of the Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov for many years, and the audience of the Ruhr Piano Festival is also familiar with his music. His Silent Songs are music that he composed to poems with powerful images. Grimaud and Krimmel’s interpretation from Konzerthaus Dortmund gets under your skin, especially when paired with the Songs op. 32 by Johannes Brahms. PROGRAM Brahms: 9 Lieder und Gesänge, Op. 32; Silvestrov: Selection from Silent Songs
Bruce Liu Piano Recital
With a highly acclaimed performance, shooting star Bruce Liu thrilled as part of the 2024 Klavier-Festival Ruhr. The Chinese-Canadian pianist excelled in this concert evening with the full range of his stupendous playing technique, which he proved with an impressive performance of a stylistically wide-ranging series of works from Haydn, Chopin, and Beethoven to Prokofiev, touching on the variations of the Ukrainian Nicolai Kapustin, which are infused with a relaxed jazz feeling. Bruce Liu has made a name for himself by winning the Warsaw Chopin Competition in 2021, conquering his place in international music life. PROGRAM Haydn: Sonata No. 32; Chopin: Sonata No. 2, Op. 35; Kapustin: Variations Op. 41; Beethoven: Sonata No. 18, Op. 31/3 “The Hunt”; Prokofiev: Sonata No. 7