Víkingur plays Brahms

Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson is one of the most acclaimed soloists in the classical music world. With his warm touch and passionate musicality, he attracts huge audiences. This season, he is the Artist-in-Residence at the Concert Hall.

Here, we get to meet him in Brahms's magnificent first piano concerto. He returns on two more occasions during the season, first in a recital where he plays Beethoven's last three piano sonatas, and then with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Brahms's second piano concerto. For this first visit, it's Chief Conductor Ryan Bancroft who conducts.

The concert opens with Anders Hillborg's dazzlingly elegant Sound Atlas. The glass harmonica – an instrument where fingers are rubbed on tuned glass bells – plays a significant role in the piece, contributing to the music's crystalline character. Additionally, we hear music by the Welsh pioneer Grace Williams. Her Four Illustrations for the Legend of Rhiannon is based on ancient Welsh tales.

Read more about chief conductor Ryan Bancroft