City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

In the organizer's words:

PROGRAM

BERLIOZ "Roman Carnival" op. 9
RAVEL Piano Concerto in G major
BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story"
RAVEL La Valse. Poème chorégraphique

Fazil Say is an oriental storyteller who transcends boundaries. It simply bursts out of him: a volcano of creativity and creative imagination. The composer Aribert Reimann said of the then 16-year-old Fazil Say: "You have to listen to him, the boy plays like a devil." With his extraordinary pianistic ability, Fazil Say has been touching audiences and critics alike for almost 30 years now. Concerts with the artist are always more direct, more open, more exciting, in short: they go straight to the heart. "Instinct plays a major role for me. Letting go and control are in close interplay," says Fazil Say. The ECHO Klassik award winner inspires with his enormous talent for improvisation, unusual programs and unconventional interpretations. Say is also known for his commitment to social and political issues. As a bridge builder between East and West, he combines classical music, jazz, free improvisation and Turkish folk music in his captivating compositions. Fazil Say's music always emerges from the here and now, he depicts life in all its facets.
At Pro Arte, the Turkish star pianist, Fazil Say, can be heard together with the renowned British orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of its newly appointed chief conductor, Kazuki Yamada. The outstanding Japanese conductor is thus taking on a great legacy as the successor to Sir Simon Rattle, Andris Nelsons and Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla. In Essen, the traditional orchestra will perform popular and colorful works by Berlioz and Ravel, among others, which sparkle with vibrancy and orchestral brilliance.