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Pianist Olga Kern |
On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will perform in Morgantown, with
guest conductor Leonard Slatkin. Pianist Olga Kern will perform
Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto with the PSO.
Kern spoke with me over the phone about her connections to
Rachmaninov and his music, and the challenges that his first piano concerto –
the very first piece that he published – presents compared to his other music. Listen to her talk about the music:
Kern also has a new album of Chopin Sonatas. In the
interview, she discusses the enormous importance of Chopin for “opening the
door” to many sounds and ideas on the piano.
Rachmaninov performs Rachmaninov (Piano Concerto No. 1)