Vadym Kholodenko: Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique
The celebrated pianist performs Schumann’s deeply personal Fantasie in C and Liszt’s audacious solo-piano version of Berlioz’ study of passion and obsession.
Gold medallist at the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Kyiv-born Vadym Kholodenko is known worldwide for performances combining power with precision and poetic insight.
Schumann’s Fantasie in C stands among the composer’s most personal works. Written during a separation from his beloved Clara Wieck, it moves between restless longing and inward reflection. Dedicated to Liszt, the work unfolds on a symphonic scale while retaining an unmistakably intimate, confessional voice.
After the interval comes Liszt’s own piano reimagining of Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique, which traces a fevered story of love and obsession, from a glittering ballroom to a march to the scaffold and a demonic witches’ sabbath.
In Liszt’s hands, Berlioz’ vivid storytelling and unforgettable images emerge boldly through piano writing that pushes a performer to the edge of their abilities.
Together, these two works explore the Romantic imagination at its most expansive and emotionally charged.
Performers
Vadym Kholodenko piano
Repertoire
Schumann: Fantasie in C, Op.17
Interval
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique arr. Liszt (S.470) for piano
Need to know
Reviews
‘Extremely powerful playing… imbued with every degree of subtle piano shades’Die Press, Austria
‘Iron-clad technique, capable of moments of crystalline delicacy’The Guardian
‘Playing that pulls no punches: Kholodenko is in the elite of classical pianists’The Critic
For your visit
This event is held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank Centre
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