In 1970 Garrick Ohlsson – a gangly pianist from White Plains, New York, all of 22 and unknown beyond his hometown – pulled off an astonishing feat: from nowhere he won the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, the only American to have done so. He somehow missed the announcement, a kindly audience member informing him that his life would never be quite the same.
In the subsequent 50 years Ohlsson has owned Chopin’s music like few others, playing it with authority, humility, a sense of discovery and deep commitment.
Ohlsson has other heroes too. Scriabin is one such example, his powerful, impressionistic music an ideal match for Ohlsson’s authoritative playing. He adores Barber and Schubert, Debussy and Liszt too, choosing this Australian tour for his first performance of the latter’s Sonata in B Minor in many years. His program also features a new work by the Australian composer Thomas Mission.
Piano Garrick Ohlsson
Schuber Impromptu in C Minor, Op. 90, No. 1
Liszt Piano Sonata in B Minor, S.178
Thomas Mission New Work*
Scriabin Étude in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 2, No. 1
Scriabin Étude in D-Flat Major, Op. 8, No. 10
Scriabin Étude in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 42, No. 5
Scriabin Two Poems, Op. 32: Andante cantabile
Scriabin Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 5
*World premiere performance. Commissioned for Musica Viva Australia by Stephen Johns for his wife, Michele.
His performance was a marvel of virtuosity, and he played with Olympian serenity and equanimity, dispatching the most strenuous passages with apparent ease.
David Helfgott bids a fond farewell to his fans, performing Rachmaninov’s third piano concerto for two pianos with Rhodri Clarke.
Join Queensland Symphony Orchestra for a rapturous performance of Heroic Tales conducted by Nicholas Carter.
Ensemble Q presents a boots and all style exploration of the earthy influence of music from countries including Ireland, America, Japan, Italy and more.
A rare opportunity to witness the magic of these two phenomenal artists, who have been thrilling crowds across the world.
Join the world’s finest violinist Maxim Vengerov for an insightful masterclass.
Soprano Siobhan Stagg performs with Nico de Villiers at the Ian Hanger Recital Hall in an intimate recital of Lieder.
Tiempo y Herida is a concert of new works by Bernardo Alviz, Felix Hughes Chivers and Paul Dean, performed by QCGU staff and students.
Come see the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra: Concertos Festival, performed at the Queensland Symphony Orchestra Studio.