Within its Cycle of Great Performers, the Fundación Scherzo starts the year 2025 with an exceptional concert, starring the prestigious British pianist Sir Stephen Hough. The recital will take place on 8 January at 7.30 pm in the Sala Sinfónica of the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid.
Awarded by The Economist as one of twenty living polymaths, Sir Stephen Hough combines a brilliant career as a pianist with outstanding facets as a composer and writer. He was the first classical performer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, and his contributions to music have earned him the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) and the distinction of Knight for Services to Music in 2022. His activity in the 2023/24 season included more than 80 concerts on four continents, working with some of the most recognized orchestras in the world.
The concert program is a celebration of piano virtuosity and poetry. It will open with two miniatures by Cécile Chaminade, Automne and Autrefois, which stand out for their lyricism and evocation of intimate emotional landscapes, followed by the monumental Sonata in B minor, S178, by Franz Liszt, a masterpiece of romanticism that, in one movement, brings together moments of stormy passion, reflection and unparalleled virtuosity. Considered, moreover, as one of the summits of the piano repertoire, the sonata is a technical and expressive challenge that tests even the most experienced pianists.
The second part of the programme returns to the charm of Chaminade with its Thème Varié and Les Sylvains. These pieces show the composer’s ability to create music of great elegance and color, capturing both the romantic tradition and a personal style full of freshness and sophistication.
The concert will culminate with the Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, by Frédéric Chopin, a work that combines the formal grandeur of the classical sonata with romantic sensibility. From the imposing majestic Allegro to the luminous Finale, through the playful character of the Scherzo and the lyrical depth of the Largo, this sonata is one of Chopin’s most complete and admired compositions. Tickets for the concert can be purchased at this link.
