Famous Volodin and Kochanovsky with the Belgrade Philharmonic

On Friday, May 29, the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra presents two exceptional artists – pianist Alexei Volodin and conductor Stanislav Kochanovsky (Kolarac Concert Hall, 8 PM). The program features not one but two piano concertos by Sergei Prokofiev, alongside Richard Strauss’s monumental symphonic poem Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life).

A true heroic evening and one of the most anticipated concerts of the season brings together artists of the highest calibre. A longtime favorite of the Belgrade Philharmonic audience, Alexei Volodin – regularly performing with leading orchestras worldwide – takes on a rare challenge: two piano concertos by Prokofiev. That a single hand can be as virtuosic as two is demonstrated in Piano Concerto No. 4, written for Paul Wittgenstein, the pianist who lost his arm in the Great War. Two decades earlier, before the war would forever alter the course of history, the youthful Piano Concerto No. 1 was composed. Reflecting all the vitality of a young composer, this brilliant work, lasting just fifteen intense minutes, is performed and experienced in a single breath – just as it will be delivered by Alexei Volodin, celebrated for his exceptional sensitivity and dazzling technique.

The evening culminates in Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, a radiant orchestral fresco depicting the journey of a hero across six interconnected movements. This brilliant composition is quoting many of Strauss’s own famous works such as Also sprach Zarathustra, Till Eulenspiegel, and Don Quixote.

The orchestra is led by Stanislav Kochanovsky, one of the most compelling conductors of our time, praised for his aristocratic hands. Equally at home in symphonic and operatic repertoire, he has achieved remarkable international success in recent years. The audience of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra first encountered him in 2022 and has eagerly awaited his return ever since.

Tickets are available at the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra’s box office as well as online.