Boris Giltburg

Programme: Gabriella Smith Field Guide Grieg Piano Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 2 Performers: Kevin John Edusei conductor (RPO Conductor-in-Residence 2025-26) Boris Giltburg piano Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ‘Titanic’ was how one critic described the playing of pianist Boris Giltburg, and they didn’t stop there: ‘Giltburg had enormous reserves of firepower – and of musing poetry, too – to open up whole worlds of feeling and imagination.’ Now imagine him bringing all his wizardry to one of the best-loved showpieces of all time – Grieg’s evergreen (and gloriously tuneful) Piano Concerto. With an extra touch of magic from the RPO’s charismatic Conductor-in-Residence Kevin John Edusei, it’s the big heart of a concert that begins in California, with Gabriella Smith’s ingenious musical nature notebook and ends beneath the Northern Lights of Finland, as Sibelius’ mighty Second Symphony grows from tranquil beginnings to a soaring hymn of triumph. Prepare to be swept away. “He made me listen to the music afresh… the whole trajectory of the piece became clearer. The audience’s reaction was fervent and impassioned, and rightly so.” Seen and Heard International on Boris Giltburg RPO Annual Legacy Giving Concert