Doubt Thou the Tsars

April 23 serves as an auspicious date, as it marks the birth-anniversary of both William Shakespeare and Sergei Prokofiev (the latter of whom performed as a piano soloist with the Philharmonic six times). Why choose between celebrating one or the other when you can fête both? As a birthday gift for all from the Digital Archives, we have the score for Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, marked by maestro Andre Kostelanetz.

Meanwhile, our inspiration from the Bard will play on next year when our Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow plays Korngold’s Much Ado About Nothing Suite as part of his farewell season. More immediately, we explore Prokofiev’s two violin concertos in June, the first performed by Lisa Batiashvili, the second spotlighting Leonidas Kavakos.

Fabulous Fima!

Join us in wishing an outstanding birthday to Yefim Bronfman, next season’s Philharmonic Artist-in-Residence. This keyboard-devouring genius has performed with us already 87 (!) times, including on tour (check out the above video of Prokofiev’s knuckle-busting Second as performed in Spain). While you wait to hear his Beethoven cycle and more with us in 2013–14, don’t forget to pre-order your copy of the CD that includes his performance of a piece composed for him — Magnus Lindberg’s Piano Concerto No. 2 — in a live concert with Alan Gilbert and the Phil in May 2012. 

Many happy returns to this lovely gentleman and remarkable musician.

(Video: Chris Lee)

Where in the World Is Alan Gilbert?

Now, he’s in Leipzig, for concerts tonight and tomorrow, conducting the historic Gewandhaus Orchestra (which has been led by a few maestros you might have heard of, such as  Mendelssohn and Masur) in an all-Russian program: Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony and Violin Concerto No. 1 with Lisa Batiashvili (in a warm up to their performance of the work with the Philharmonic in New York this June), as well as Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony. 

Alan is coming back to New York next week, and it’s about time. We’ve missed him!

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On Friday, September 28, pianist Daniil Trifonov (who studies at CIM with Sergei Babayan) performed at Avery Fisher Hall in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for the first time with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert.

Mr. Trifonov played Prokofiev’s Concerto for Piano no 3 in C major, Op. 26.

Now, you can hear his performance along with the other works from this three-concert series with the NY Philharmonic—including Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, Op. 35—by visiting InstantEncore.com.

At today’s matinee Daniil Trifonov made such a splash in his Philharmonic debut that his performance of Prokofiev’s thrilling and challenging Piano Concerto No. 3 was greeted with shouts for more, which the 21-year-old dynamo rewarded with an encore: Liszt’s arrangement of Widmung from Schumann’s Myrthen, Op. 25, No. 1.

Missed the moment? You can still catch history in the making as Trifonov continues his Philharmonic performances tomorrow night and Tuesday.

Talking with Trifonov

The 21-year-old pianist Daniil Trifonov makes his New York Philharmonic debut this afternoon, playing Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in a matinee performance. We caught up with Daniil fresh off his first rehearsal with the Orchestra to discuss what makes this work special, how it feels to perform with the Philharmonic, and how he got here.

Date with Daniil

“Working with a soloist for the first time is a little like being on a blind date,” says Music Director Alan Gilbert—you never know what the chemistry will be.

At the end of the month, 2011 Tchaikovsky Piano Competition Winner Daniil Trifonov makes a date for his Philharmonic debut. But the Music Director isn’t too worried about this first encounter, knowing that ”his musical thoughts are so refined, electric, and imaginative for the Prokofiev Third Piano Concerto. He’s a true sensation.”

“Composers write what they want and I am happy to be the medium to try to incorporate that into performance.”

— In our latest video interview, Yefim Bronfman discusses learning a “complex and fascinating piece” like Magnus Lindberg’s Piano Concerto No. 2 — a work written for him. The eminent pianist tackle passages he describes as “almost unplayable” as he gives the World Premiere tonight at Avery Fisher Hall, led by Music Director Alan Gilbert.

Check out what Philharmonic news had Twitter buzzing this week: