P4 / Beethoven 200: Tribute to a genius ⬩ Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra

The first Beethoven evening offers a glimpse of both the composer’s early and mature writing for the piano. Under the baton of Chief Conductor Elias Grandy, the programme presents Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, light and lively; Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, lyrical, with intense dialogues between soloist and orchestra; and Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, rich in subtle contrasts and original musical ideas. In the solo passages, the French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet combines expressive precision with a sensitivity that perfectly complements the orchestra’s energy of tempo and dynamic range.

Elias Grandy, the German-Japanese conductor, is taking up the post of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra from the 2026/27 season. He performs with leading orchestras, including the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, and the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, and collaborates with major opera houses from Oper Frankfurt to the Semperoper Dresden and Nikikai Opera Tokyo. He began his career as Kapellmeister at the Staatstheater Darmstadt and in 2015 received an award at the prestigious Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition. He is known as a passionate musical storyteller whose programmes combine the great works of the orchestral repertoire with operatic productions and are widely praised by both audiences and critics.

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet is one of the leading French pianists of his generation. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris with Pierre Sancan and later refined his artistry with Paul Badura-Skoda, Nikita Magaloff, and György Sándor. Early in his career he won first prize at the International Beethoven Piano Competition in Cologne (1986) and succeeded in the Young Concert Artists auditions in New York. His extensive discography, particularly his recordings of music by Debussy, Ravel, and Prokofiev, has received numerous honours, including the Gramophone Award, BBC Music Magazine Award, and Diapason d’Or.

This exceptional concert offers a rare opportunity to hear three of Beethoven’s piano concertos, works that reveal the composer’s path towards remarkable musical originality. In the interpretation of Jean Efflam Bavouzet and under the baton of Elias Grandy, a compelling dialogue between soloist and orchestra unfolds. An outstanding project that lovers of Beethoven’s music should not miss.