Ascona: Daniele Rustioni and Yulianna Avdeeva

Programme

Since winning the prestigious Chopin International Piano Competition in 2010, Yulianna Avdeeva has built an illustrious career as one of the most convincing and sensitive pianists of her generation. Tonight, she joins the Philharmonia in arguably the most popular concerto in history. Composed as Rachmaninov recovered from years of depression and writer’s block, his Second Piano Concerto is a passionate outpouring of creativity and is packed with more memorable melodies than many composers write in a lifetime.

Crowning the programme is one of Beethoven’s most celebrated works. By the early 19th century, Beethoven had started to go deaf, but had overcome his initial despair and was determined to find hope and purpose in his art. One of the first fruits of his decision was the glorious, groundbreaking ‘Eroica’ Symphony, a true masterpiece in composition.

Daniele Rustioni opens the evening with the popular overture from Weber’s opera Der Freischütz. Widely considered one of the first German operatic masterpieces, the 10-minute overture offers a tantalising taste of the whole work.