Garrick Ohlsson plays all over the world, the celebrated San Francisco-based pianist has a special affinity for Poland.
In 1970, he was the first American to win the prestigious Warsaw International Chopin Competition. No American has won since. The triumph introduced the international and successful career of the pianist.
In 2018, Ohlsson met with the Apollon Musagète Quartet at a music festival in Warsaw. In 2020, the quartet and pianist, both with celebrity prestige in the Eastern European country, embarked on a joint tour of Poland that temporarily sank through the coronavirus pandemic. .
Two years later, the Apollon Musagète Quartet requested to provide Ohlsson on their U. S. tour, which ended on Saturday, October 8 at La Jolla Music Society’s Baker-Baum Concert Hall.
What is the use of an Ohlsson band, which has played with such prestigious quartets as Cleveland, Emerson or Takacs?
“First of all, the quality of performance of the Americans and the ensemble,” said the pianist, speaking from Oklahoma City, where he played that night with the Philharmonic Orchestra.
“I also look at the musical intensity and seriousness with which they work, and then their style in the performance. I felt Apollon Musagète cross the ramp. It’s very exciting to make music with this glorious band.
Founded in 2006, the quartet will perform movements from Bach’s The Art of Fugue and Schubert’s String Quartet in B-flat major. Ohlsson will sign them to perform Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G minor.
“I love paintings and it’s similar to Bach’s piece,” Ohlsson said. meaning.
“Shostakovich goes from the darkest vulgarities to the maximum rowdy vulgarities. It is his own. It encompasses a wide diversity of emotional and musical styles.
For a musician who spends much of his time touring, pandemic restrictions forced Ohlsson to retire unexpectedly and unwantedly.
He has given professional broadcast concerts at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he teaches piano. But he had no physical for 15 months, the first in his career of more than 50 years.
“It wasn’t easy, now that we’re over lockdown, there was a lot to love about it,” he said. “Being at home for so long I realized that I really enjoyed being at home. It was very nice .
“My career is only one virtual concert a month, but streaming stored my life. Most artists are addicted to adrenaline. We love the extra jolt that concerts give you.
Ohlsson’s broadcast concerts were filmed live, never edited.
“When you stop by to listen to the San Diepass Symphony Orchestra,” he explained with a laugh, “if they start at 8 o’clock, they don’t stop after 4 minutes and say, ‘That wasn’t right, let’s try it. ‘”‘again. ‘”
Another positive facet of pandemic restrictions is being at home with her husband, former curator Robert Guter.
“It was wonderful, I’m pleased to say,” Ohlsson said. I wasn’t worried because we’ve been together for so long. We just spent our 39th year in combination, so we’re pretty boring!
Wood is a freelance writer.
When: Saturday at 19:30
Where: Baker-Baum Concert Hall, Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave. , La Jolla
Tickets: $31 to $75
Phone: (858) 459-3728
Online: theconrad. org
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