Series W

Included: five concerts
Prices: 194 to 232 €

When Seong-Jin Cho won the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw - as Maurizio Pollini and Martha Argerich had done before him, to name just two examples - in 2015, the Seoul-born musician firmly established himself as one of today's top-ranking pianists. In the 2024/25 season, he is Artist in Residence for the Berliner Philharmoniker, with whom he has performed several times since 2017 - including on two tours of Asia under the baton of chief conductors Simon Rattle and Kirill Petrenko.

A recital of the complete works for solo piano by Maurice Ravel promises to be a programme highlight. Seong-Jin Cho admires Ravel as a "sharp thinker with very clear ideas," he says, and also appreciates his sensual side, "this incredible richness of color - even his piano music often has an orchestral sound."

In two concerts, Seong-Jin Cho will play chamber music. Alongside members of the Berliner Philharmoniker, he has chosen a Hungarian theme, with works by Brahms, Bartók and Ligeti. His programme with the Karajan Academy includes Beethoven's Wind Quintet and a work by Korean composer Donghoon Shin, as well as a chamber music version of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 – a wonderful opportunity to experience Seong-Jin Cho with the repertoire through which he made his name.

The Artist in Residence performs twice in orchestral concerts with the Berliner Philharmoniker - once again showcasing his versatility. The programme includes Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, a great classic of the German repertoire, and Shostakovich's Concerto for Piano and Trumpet, a work of extroverted wildness. Also taking part: Guillaume Jehl, principal trumpet of the orchestra, whom Seong-Jin Cho met on his first tour with the Berliner Philharmoniker.