Events

Mozart Rondo in D, K485
Chopin Ballade no. 2 in F, op. 38
Chopin Nocturne in C minor, op. 48, no. 1
Chopin Fantaisie-impromptu in C sharp minor, op. 66
Chopin Scherzo no.1 in B minor, op. 20
Interval
Debussy Two Arabesques
Rachmaninov Piano Sonata no. 2 in B flat minor, op. 36 (2^nd version)

‘One of the most virtuosic of pianists…’

Ukrainian-born Australian pianist, Alexander Gavruylyuk, had won a number of important piano competitions when he took Gold Medal at the 2005 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters. His international career was firmly launched and he didn’t look back. Recent highlights include engagements with Bournemouth Symphony, Sydney Symphony and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras and in 2023/2024 he was Artist in Residence at Wigmore Hall. Described as one of the most virtuosic of pianists, he is noted for performances that are both electrifying and poetic.

Alexander’s programme gives full scope to his talents. Mozart’s witty and lively set of variations is followed by four pieces by Chopin, including the grief-stricken Nocturne in C minor. In the second half, Debussy’s Arabesques meander gently towards the climax of the evening – Rachmaninov’s Piano Sonata no. 2. This titanic masterpiece, packed with drama and passion and overlaid with bell-like sonorities, is incredibly taxing on the performer. Back in 2017, Alexander made his debut in the BBC Proms at the Albert Hall with Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto no.3. The Times described his performance as ‘revelatory’.

‘Not many things in this world can unite people – no form of diplomacy could ever do that.  I think that music comes the furthest in revealing that perhaps, on a deeper level, we are all quite similar: when the audience reacts in one wave of emotion, that to me is the most incredible and inspiring thing.’ Alexander Gavrylyuk

Alexander performs Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto
with Sydney Symphony Orchestra, 18th January 2024.