On September 14 outstanding pianist András Schiff gave a concert at the St. Petersburg state philharmonic hall named after D.D. Shostakovich. This was the fourth visit of the Hungarian master to Russia over the last years. As in previous times, Russian concerts of András Schiff were organized by the Musical Olympus Foundation

The pianist performed sonatas by Haydn, Beethoven, and Schubert. An extraordinary warm welcome of the Petersburg audience moved the musician so that he gave a generous encore. Beautiful pieces by Brahms, Schubert, and Bach channeled the master’s crystal clear energy that captivated the audience until the very last sound.

Schiff carefully thinks through his concert programmes and thoroughly studies the work of the composers whose pieces he is going to perform. That is the key to success for any of his concerts. András tries to understand the composer’s feelings and emotions and later expresses them in his performance. This is in his interpretation that we today can listen to classical music that sounds as it should have sounded centuries ago.

“For me András Schiff is not just a pianist or a musician - he is a big, great artist. Going to his concert is like taking the opportunity to witness something divine”, expresses her admiration Irina Nikitina, President of the Musical Olympus Foundation. “His concerts are a unique means of esthetic education, a way to enrich your inner world. I believe today he is one of a kind in the world”.

On September 12 András Schiff also gave a concert in Moscow, at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall.