Emanuel Ax Plays Beethoven 2025-2026
Let yourself be swept away by the masterful touch of eight-time Grammy winner Emanuel Ax as he brings his deep sensitivity to Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3, a fascinating bridge between the elegance of Classicism and the passion of Romanticism. Then, dive into the grandeur of Prokofiev’s Symphony No.5, a wartime masterpiece brimming with triumphant energy. The evening also features the world premiere of a new work by rising star Isabella Gellis, renowned for her refined and expressive compositions.
Voices from the press
« A soloist equally renowned for interpretive sympathy and technical acumen. » – The Wall Street Journal
« Qu’il s’agisse d’un détaché énergique ou d’une délicate liaison, toutes les notes résonnent dans l’oreille à leur juste place, tant au sein de la phrase que relativement à l’ensemble harmonique. » – Bachtrack Paris
Artists
Rafael Payare, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
Program
Isabella Gellis, Invitations – Premiere – OSM commission 🍁
Ludwig Van Beethoven, Concerto for Piano No. 3, Op. 37 (34 min)
Intermission (20 min)
Sergei Prokofiev, Symphony No. 5, Op. 100 (46 min)
Emanuel Ax
PianoBorn to Polish parents in what is today Lviv, Ukraine, Emanuel Ax moved to Winnipeg, Canada, with his family when he was a young boy. Mr. Ax made his New York debut in the Young Concert Artists Series, and in 1974 won the first Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv. In 1975 he won the Michaels Award of Young Concert Artists, followed by the Avery Fisher Prize. Following the world premiere at Tanglewood in summer 2025, the concerto written for him by John Williams will have its Boston Symphony subscription debut in January followed by the premiere with New York Philharmonic. He will return to orchestras in Dallas, St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, and beyond, and can be heard in recital throughout the US and Europe. Mr. Ax has been a Sony Classical exclusive recording artist since 1987. He has released the first four discs in his multi-year project with violinist Leonidas Kavakos and cellist Yo-Yo Ma to record all the Beethoven Trios and Symphonies. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and holds honorary doctorates of music from Skidmore College, New England Conservatory of Music, Yale University, and Columbia University.
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