A Closer Look at the Piano Series

The Piano Series has always been an important, and also very popular, part of the PCMS season.  Those who have been coming to these recitals for years may have noticed our commitment to presenting not only great artists but a very particular kind of musician.  As a rule, we tend to choose artists whose playing embodies a certain integrity and seriousness that we hope also represents our mission as an organization in general.

Richard Goode, Anton Kuerti, András Schiff, Radu Lupu, Cynthia Raim, Mitsuko Uchida and Claude Frank are all great examples.  These are musicians whose vision goes well beyond mere pianism and reminds you of just what a profound experience great artistry can produce.  They are not necessarily the first pianists that would come to mind when discussing the great "virtuosos" of the instrument, but I think their playing embodies something much more important.  With all of these artists there is a sense of poise, introspection, grace and even wisdom that is ultimately what we are all looking for in art.  This philosophy can, of course, be seen in our other series as well, but I think it tends to be more often visible in the Piano Series, where a single person's vision is more apparent.

As far as this season is concerned, I wouldn't miss either of Richard Goode's appearances (one solo recital and one two-piano recital with Jonathan Biss, an artist of similar temperament).  Peter Serkin is also an artist who plays with honesty and integrity and one capable of revelatory insights into new music, and to hear Garrick Ohlsson play an entire program of Chopin is exactly what you would ask for in a perfect world.  After all that, you still have Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman and Marc-Andre Hamelin to consider, making this one of our most exciting Piano Series in years.