A living legend, Emanuel Ax is known as a poetic pianist. Compared to young, finger-blistering virtuosos, his recitals feel like oases of calm. NRC Handelsblad wrote about him: “Ax approaches music from an all-encompassing gentleness. He loves every note he plays. His instrumental baggage and his exceptional musical drive make him the Rolls Royce among pianists: strong and dynamic, lustrous and subtle, able to traverse even the most inhospitable musical landscapes with regal suppleness.”

In December 2023, Ax gave a particularly convincing concert in the Great Pianist Series at the Royal Concertgebouw. During this recital, he played Schubert’s Impromptus op. 142 and Schumann’s Arabesque and Fantasie, one of his favourite works. You will also hear Excursions by American composer Samuel Barber, which was premiered by Horowitz in 1944.