Evgeny Kissin in conversation with Fergus McWilliam (12 min.)

The Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin made his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker at the New Year’s Eve concert in 1988. His performance and recording of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto under the direction of Herbert von Karajan were a sensation and marked the international breakthrough of the then 17-year-old virtuoso. In the following years, Kissin returned to the orchestra several times and also worked with Karajan’s successors Claudio Abbado and Sir Simon Rattle. In January 2019, the artist performed Franz Liszt’s E flat Major Piano Concerto under the direction of Mariss Jansons. In this interval feature with Philharmoniker horn player Fergus McWilliam, Kissin explains why he has included the composer’s two concertos in his repertoire at this time, and how much playing together with the Philharmoniker inspires him. He also talks about his passion for poetry.