Bachtrack: Yulianna Avdeeva Performs with the Pittsburgh Symphony

Star pianist Yulianna Avdeeva, gold medalist of the 2010 International Chopin Piano Competition, performed Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Pittsburgh Symphony on April 10-12. “The electric chemistry between conductor, orchestra and soloist ensured this wasn’t merely an exercise in bombast, but a night of compelling music-making,” writes Sam Jacobson for Bachtrack.

Among the great piano concertos, Prokofiev’s Second stands out as a particularly taxing and unrelenting affair. This weekend the daunting challenge fell to Yulianna Avdeeva. A gentle, unassuming opening belied its scope, with the piano grave and searching at first, gingerly exploring the keyboard ahead of the fury. Matters quickly grew in intensity, with Avdeeva drawing a wide color palette and deep resonance from the Steinway. The jagged edges of the massive cadenza resounded with enormous power and percussiveness.

In about the only moment of subtlety of the evening, the pianist encored with a limpid, elegant account of Schubert’s charming Moment musical no. 3 in F minor.

Read the full review here.

Yulianna Avdeeva (credit: Kevin Kinzley)