Daniil Trifonov in conversation with Sarah Willis (13 min.)

The music world has raved for years about the young Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov, winner at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw and the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow to name but two. At the age of 25, he made his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker as the soloist in Sergei Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto at the 2016 New Year’s Eve concert. Careful planning has played a role in Trifonov’s meteoric career, as the pianist explains in conversation with the Philharmoniker’s horn player, Sarah Willis. Such as how he took to heart the advice of his teacher Tatjana Zeligman not to appear too early with the Rachmaninov works. Trifonov is now considered an outstanding interpreter of the Russian composer’s four piano concertos. In this interview, he discusses these works in detail, and reveals, among other things, how to deal with the enormous athletic challenges they present.