In dialogue with the orchestra, soloists seek their own path to the masterpieces

Music is always shaped by the individual perspective of each artist on the great works of the classical repertoire. Personal approach, virtuosic preferences, and the interplay with the orchestra make every interpretation uniquely compelling. This season, the Wiener Symphoniker engage in artistic dialogue with six highly diverse pianists and three outstanding violin virtuosos.

While the grand seigneur of Austrian piano music, Rudolf Buchbinder, performs Mozart’s piano concertos KV 595, KV 488, and KV 467 as both pianist and conductor, Austria’s most promising young pianist, Lukas Sternath, will be presenting Rachmaninow’s Piano Concerto No. 4. Particularly exciting are the contrasting interpretations of the same work, as when Leif Ove Andsnes and – later in the season – Beatrice Rana will both perform Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2. Two major concert highlights between East and West include Yuja Wang’s performance of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (conducted by Omer Meir Wellber) and Kirill Gerstein’s interpretation of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue (under Santtu-Matias Rouvali).

This season also features three very different violinists: German-American Augustin Hadelich performing Prokofjew’s Violin Concerto No. 2, South Korean violinist Bomsori appearing with Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s Violin Concerto in E minor, and Frank Peter Zimmermann playing the Violin Concerto by Swiss composer Frank Martin.