Denis Matsuev in conversation with Aleksandar Ivić (8 min.)

Denis Matsuev’s planned appearance with the Berliner Philharmoniker in the summer of 2020 had to be rescheduled twice. A concert in which he was going to appear dedicated to Mariss Jansons who died in December 2019 was prevented due to the restrictions of the corona pandemic. In conversation with the Philharmoniker’s violinist Aleksandar Ivić, Matsuev expresses his joy that the performance of Shostakovich’s Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and String Orchestra was finally able to be presented – albeit without a conductor and without an audience – as part of the Berlin Phil Series. Further topics of discussion are the trusting relationship between Matsuev and Jansons, the artist’s experience of quarantine, and the humorous aspects of Shostakovich’s composition.