DANIIL TRIFONOV

With the musical intelligence that is his hallmark, Gábor Takács-Nagy marks the bicentenary of Beethoven’s death in a programme of real individuality. Alongside Schumann’s celebrated Symphony No. 3, the Music Director of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra presents two Beethoven rarities: his first concerto, written at the age of 13, and the finale intended for his ‘true’ first piano concerto. The great Daniil Trifonov performs these two gems, well worth rediscovering.

A flamboyant heir to the Russian piano school, Nikolaï Lugansky has no equal in illuminating the works of Beethoven, of whom he is one of the foremost interpreters. Under his fluid fingers, the German composer’s works carry an ever-present urgency, combining strength and suppleness. Likewise, his mellow sound is ideally suited to the music of Schumann, of whom he performs two works directly rooted in Beethoven’s legacy.

In just a handful of editions, Yunchan Lim has won over the Verbier Festival. A true star in his home country (on a par with some pop singers), the Korean pianist reveals all of Mozart’s humanity in this recital devoted to the music of a composer who loved to confide his secrets to the keyboard.

For many editions now, the Verbier Festival has been proud to count András Schiff among its most loyal musicians. This evening, the Hungarian pianist dazzles in a sumptuous recital, conceived as a chronological odyssey from Bach to Schubert.

Yuja Wang never fails to surprise us. For her carte blanche, the virtuoso pianist showcases her musician friends, such as the Frenchman Gautier Capuçon in a fine sonata by Grieg, and Yamen Saadi (concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic) in Berg’s Chamber Concerto, where technical constraints are wedded to incandescent lyricism.

We adore Juan Diego Flórez for his luminous voice, his sense of nuance and his irresistible stage presence. The Peruvian tenor promises an extraordinary atmosphere in the Salle des Combins, with this superb programme combining his love of bel canto and his passion for zarzuela. At his side, his wonderful ensemble: the Sinfonía por el Perú Youth Orchestra. Viva Perú!