Thomas Pandolfi

Concert Pianist | Steinway Artist www.thomaspandolfi.com

[thomaspandolfi]

How I love autumn road trips! Next stop is Virginia Beach where I will be playing Rachmaninov’s Second Concerto with Symphonicity at the Sandler Center on Sunday. Can’t wait to perform one of my favorite concertos with this amazing group of musicians. Follow @symphonicityorchestra on Instagram to see my IG Takeover starting Saturday!

First thing on my road trip playlist is Rachmaninov himself playing Rach 2 in 1929. Listen with me on the audio track tagged below:

What is your favorite recording or Rach 2? Tell me in the comments, I’d love to add it to my playlist!

#roadtrip #photooftheday #travelgram #virginiabeach #virginiaartsfestival #symphonicity #autumnvibes #fallvibes

[thomaspandolfi]

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is one of my favorite to perform. It has it all… lyricism, virtuosity, intensity, and depth.

Can you guess the famous pop song that was inspired by this work?

I’ll be performing this concerto next week in Chicago, then Rach 3 in October with Symphonicity. Check my website for tickets!

[thomaspandolfi]

It's so rewarding to work with composers on new works, especially one so talented as Polo Piatti.

Playing the classical piano staples has it's place, but to work directly with a composer on a totally new piece, to be part of that conversation, well there's nothing quite like it.

During the time Polo was composing this piece, we discussed so many passages together. I'm based in the States and Polo in the UK, so we would meet frequently on Zoom to discuss options for cadenzas and virtuosic passages.

As any great composer would be, Polo was incredibly sensitive to whether the passages were pianistic and fit comfortably under the hand, instead of just focusing on how they sounded. We also discussed how to create the proper romantic sound on the piano, playing with it in different registers, in different styles, to create the right sonority and effect to express the emotions and passion encapsulated in it.

Polo Piatti's Bohemian Concerto for Piano & Orchestra official recording with myself at the piano and the National Symphony Orchestra of London under the batton of John Andrews will be premiering on streaming platforms Oct 10th, 2023. I hope you will tune in and share it with your friends!

Are you a composer? Please tag me in your works, I would love to hear them!

[thomaspandolfi]

Delayed at the airport on the way to perform in Seattle at the Benaroya Concert Hall and making the most of the wait by studying some scores!

I find studying the score away from the piano essential to both memorization and diving deeper into to the piece.

Every performer has a unique way of playing the same piece. Meditating on certain passages, motifs, and harmonies quietly, considering what they meant to the composer and what they mean to me, and how best to transport the audience into that story through phrasing and voicing, gives me the highest sense of artistic expression and, like a great book, is an ever-evolving journey of self-discovery in which, no matter how many times you read it, it reveals new layers to you each time.

See you soon Seattle!

#piano #music #musician #pianist