Santtu and Fazıl Say

Celebrated Turkish pianist-composer Fazıl Say performs his own new piano concerto, in an afternoon of music rooted in the earth of home.   

Awarded the International Beethoven Prize for Human Rights and Freedom in 2016, Say describes himself as ‘a bridge-builder between cultures.’ His music is a brilliantly effective blend of Western and Middle Eastern classical traditions, and his live performances are ‘one of a kind… full of energy and brilliance’ (Bachtrack).    

Sibelius’s En Saga draws listeners into a mysterious Nordic world of shifting moods and shadowy colours. Its sweeping themes and rugged musical terrain evoke ancient folklore and the wild, wide-open landscapes of Finland.

The sound of birdsong ripples through Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, and its third movement waltz is sprinkled with passages that evoke the folk dances of Dvořák’s native Bohemia. It’s been described as ‘35 minutes of life-enhancing joy’ (The Guardian) – a taste of summer on a November afternoon.