An Evening In The Company of World Class Pianist Evgeny Kissin

Child prodigy turned adult piano virtuoso Evgeny Kissin showed breathtaking skill on the piano from a young age, improvising with a maturity beyond his years at just two years old. His consistent dedication to his artistry, stunning sense of sonic intellect, technical prowess and above all, musical soul has seen him rise to the upper echelons of the classical world, with many top critics considering him to be one of the best pianists in the world. The San Francisco Symphony welcomes Kissin for a special solo program of Beethoven and Rachmaninoff this Fall.

The evening sets off to a rousing start with the fanfare of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 29. Out of all of the composer's 32 piano sonatas, the Hammerklavier is the most technically demanding and tests the very outer limits of its player's capabilities. This is followed by Rachmaninoff's Seven Preludes from Ten Preludes, pieces as difficult as Beethoven's Sonata but with an overarching mood of relaxed lyricism and haunting melodies. Rachmaninoff's Three Preludes from Thirteen Preludes, pieces that reflect the subtle and harmonically advanced nuances of the composer's middle years, close the program.