A Hero's Journey: Schumann & Strauss
Conductor Eun Sun Kim foregrounds the rich harmonies and brassy fanfares of Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, and pianist Javier Perianes debuts with the timeless beauty of Schumann’s Piano Concerto.
Program
Eun Sun Kim, conductor
Javier Perianes, piano
PARADIS Overture to Der Schulkandidat "Overture to The School Candidate"
SCHUMANN Piano Concerto
STRAUSS Ein Heldenleben ("A Hero's Life")
About
Offering music that evokes strength, resilience, and triumph, this concert leaves a lasting impression. Two stars of the classical music world make their debuts: Eun Sun Kim, San Francisco Opera Music Director, conducts Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben ("A Hero’s Life"), and pianist Javier Perianes brings rich tone and expressiveness to Schumann's impassioned Piano Concerto.
Since taking the helm as music director of the San Francisco Opera in 2021, South Korean conductor Eun Sun Kim has rapidly gained a reputation as "a major star" (The New York Times) for her bold and expressive performances.
Spanish pianist Javier Perianes was named Artist of the Year by the International Classical Music Awards in 2019. When he stepped in last-minute to perform Schumann's Piano Concerto with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, The Herald Scotland praised his playing as "beautifully measured and exquisitely lyrical."
Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto, one of the most in-demand works from the Romantic piano repertoire, was given its first public performance in 1845 by Clara Schumann, a piano virtuoso, composer, and Robert's wife.
Richard Strauss's semi-autographical tone poem, Ein Heldenleben ("A Hero's Journey"), is considered by many to epitomize the genre, capturing drama and force with breathtaking brass passages and lush orchestration.