Arcadi Volodos - the Reykjavík Arts Festival 2012

The Russian pianist, Arcadi Volodos, gives a solo recital May 20 at the Reykjavík Arts Festival in Eldborg.

His programme for the concert is:

Schubert: Sonata in A minor, D 784 (op. 143)
                        Brahms: 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117
                        xxx Intermission xxx

                                   Liszt: Sonata  in B minor

Arcadi Volodos, celebrated as a "keyboard genius", is without a doubt one of today's most outstanding and internationally interesting pianists. Whether in concert or on CD, his playing is always marked by a combination of breathtaking technical virtuosity and profound and expressive musicality.

His first album, featuring spectacular transcriptions (SK62691), some written by Volodos himself, was released in autumn 1997; accompanied as it was by the pianist's first live appearances, it caused an absolute sensation.
The CD was awarded several prizes (Gramophone Editor's Choice, Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik) and received outstanding reviews. Thanks to his sensational début CD and much-acclaimed recitals, it wasn't long before Arcadi Volodos was being invited to play in the world's leading concert halls. Since then he has worked with some of the world's most renowned orchestras and conductors, among them the Berlin, New York and London Philharmonic orchestras, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chicago Philharmonic,the Boston Philharmonic and the Concertgebouw Orchestra.

In 1999, Sony Classical released the legendary Carnegie Hall début recital that Volodos gave the year before, and this CD, too, was showered with international awards such as the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, the Gramophone Award and the Echo Klassik 1999. Since then, further CDs have been released to widespread acclaim, featuring works by Schubert, Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Piano concerto No. 1 with the Berlin Philharmonic under Seiji Ozawa. In February 2007, Sony Classical released the CD "Volodos plays Liszt", which garnered effusive praise from the press as a new reference recording (Diapason d'Or, Rondo: CD of the Month, Fono Forum: 5 stars).

Quotes:

Technically remarkable – the perfectly weighted evenness of much of his playing was a marvel.
The Guardian, concerts Leipzig 25.-27.11.2010

Soloist Arcadi Volodos was simply tremendous. He conjured a massive tone without appearing to try, but he can be elfin too, in the way he slipped little moments of light and shade into the heroic virtuoso passages.
Daily Telegraph, concerts Leipzig 25.-27.11.2010

Volodos achieved a combination of intimacy and pathos, once again furnishing proof of his exceptional pianistic skills. Everything was round in shape: his tone was round and well-formed, the phrasing round and sweeping, while the dynamics too were rounded off, with a broad scale of nuances and transitions between the triple piano and the thunderous, almost orchestral fortissimo. Thus Liszt's B minor sonata went well beyong the average use that the instrument is put to, both within and on the outside. Volodos gives his all: his entire earnest, intellect and heart. [...]. Resounding applause elicited no fewer than five encores.
NZZ, recital in Zürich/Tonhalle on 23.05.2011