Hrůša, Gerstein & Bamberger Symphoniker

Last genre contributions are often something very special: literally a lifetime of experience and a perfected craft meet a willingness to take artistic risks. The Bamberg Symphony and its chief conductor Jakub Hrůša juxtapose last works by two giants of the 19th century: Ludwig van Beethoven's fifth and final piano concerto meets Robert Schumann's third and chronologically last symphony, the 'Rhenish' op. 97. It is no coincidence that both works are in E flat major - even if the key in Beethoven's work appears rather heroically opulent, while in Schumann's it sometimes appears romantically flowing, as a lilting ländler or as a solemn chorale. The solo part of the piano concerto is performed by Kirill Gerstein, an exceptional pianist and exceptionally versatile artist: he began studying jazz in Boston at the age of just 14 before devoting himself entirely to classical music. Nevertheless, he invested the prize money from the Gilmore Artist Award, which he received in 2010 for his "masterful technique, tonal differentiation and musical curiosity", in several composition commissions, which he awarded to Brad Mehldau and Chick Corea, among others.