Kirill writes about his time at RachFest

Join Kirill as he shares his thoughts on performing as artist-in-residence during the Houston Symphony’s “RachFest.” Two posts are available to read in the “Press” section of this site, and future posts will be available both here and on the Houston Symphony’s blog.

Kirill Gerstein celebrates Rachmaninoff in Houston

Kirill spends January as artist-in-residence with the Houston Symphony’s “RachFest,” a month-long celebration of Rachmaninoff’s works. During the festival, Kirill undertakes the monumental task of performing all four of the composer’s piano concertos, the first performance of which occurred January 5. Everett Evans of the Houston Chronicle, discussing Kirill’s interpretation of the “gargantuan” Piano Concerto no. 3, praised his “mastery of the music’s ever shifting moods.”

RachFest continues on January 13 with performances of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concertos nos. 1 and 4, and concludes on January 19, 21, and 22 with his Piano Concerto no. 2. Hans Graf conducts these performances. For more information, and to purchase tickets, click here.

Kirill Gerstein’s Milestone Summer Consolidates His Position as “One of the Most Respected Pianists of His Generation”

As August draws to a close, Kirill Gerstein, winner of the 2010 Gilmore Artist Award, looks back on a milestone summer of high-profile engagements that generated a spate of positive press, consolidating his reputation as “one of the most respected pianists of his generation” (New York Times). These included his New York Philharmonic debut, recitals at (Le) Poisson Rouge and the opening of the Toronto Summer Music Festival, and festival appearances from Colorado’s Aspen and Bravo!-Vail to the UK’s Aldeburgh and BBC Proms, by way of Canada, Switzerland, and Germany.

Capping his milestone summer, in late August the pianist performed Richard Strauss’s early Burleske with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Semyon Bychkov at London’s BBC Proms festival; the Guardian observed that Gerstein “attacked its virtuoso demands with a combination of brilliance and sensitivity.” You can listen to this performance on BBC Radio 3 from now until Friday, September 2.

Kirill’s debut summer

This summer promises to be a hot one for Kirill. Just a few days into the summer months and Kirill has already won praise for his June 26 recital at Le Poisson Rouge. Of his recital, the Examiner.com exclaimed, “In the course of the night, Gerstein filled the shoes of both café pianist and virtuoso performer. His versatility is unquestionable.” Following his Le Poisson Rouge performance, Kirill makes his New York Philharmonic debut for three performances this week performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 at Lincoln Center, with conductor Bramwell Tovey.

Next month, Kirill makes his Toronto recital debut when he opens the Toronto Summer Music Festival with a recital featuring Beethoven’s Op. 111 Sonata and both books of the Brahms Variations on a Theme of Paganini, as well as Liszt’s Sonata in B minor on July 19.