Carte blanche to Stefano Bollani, solo piano

Leonard Bernstein
Mambo from West Side Story

Arturo Márquez
Danzón No. 2 for orchestra

Stefano Bollani
Untitled for piano and orchestra

George Gershwin
Rhapsody in Blue for piano and orchestra

Described by German radio station BR-Klassik as a “total artist,” pianist-composer Stefano Bollani brings his original interpretative art to Lugano with a program that bridges solo and symphonic works, including the iconic Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin.

“For a musician,” Bollani said, “the most important thing is to try to escape the categorizations you are given, which later influence what you do. Gershwin is a great example of extreme freedom in composing.” The recording of Rhapsody in Blue that the Italian pianist made in Leipzig in 2010 (together with Riccardo Chailly and the Gewandhausorchester) sold more than 70,000 copies and became a platinum record. On the LAC stage, Bollani returns to perform Gershwin’s masterpiece alongside the United Soloists Orchestra, a symphonic orchestra from Ticino founded in 2017 in Sorengo, composed of soloists active worldwide. Under the direction of its artistic and musical director, Arseniy Shkaptsov, the ensemble has promoted a variety of interesting and high-quality musical projects in recent years, ranging from classical symphonies to jazz, traditional folk, and contemporary music. Stefano Bollani embodies the figure of the contemporary musician like few others: alongside his intense concert activity and versatile discography, he has co-created popular radio series, hosted television programs with internationally renowned musicians, written several books, and launched innovative theatrical performances.