Concert program – day 1

Nina Shekhar : Lumina (European Premiere)

Ludwig van Beethoven : Piano Concerto No. 5‘Emperor Concerto’
Allegro – Adagio un poco mosso – Rondo. Allegro

Break

Dmitri Shostakovich : Symphony No. 9 in E-flat major, Op. 70
Allegro – Moderato – Presto – Largo – Allegretto – Allegro

Jan Lisiecki (piano)
Jaap van Zweden (Principal Conductor)
New York Philharmonic

Side by side: musicians from the Baltic Sea Philharmonic with the New York Philharmonic

The Polish-Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki has Baltic and North American roots and at the age of 26 is already one of the greatest pianists of our time. He plays Beethoven’s most popular piano concerto, also known as ‘Emperor Concerto’, in which gentle, intimate moments alternate with majestic sounds. Light and shadow are close together here, as in the award-winning work Lumina by the young American composer Nina Shekhar , which introduces the opening concert. Finally, the cosmopolitan sound of the young generation of musicians of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic connects with the unique, liberal atmosphere that the New York Philharmonic created at the historic location: In its project ‘side by side‘ both orchestras play together for the first time – an unprecedented cooperation – and Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 9 – a strong statement for peace and unity, against totalitarianism and oppression.