Alexandre Kantorow

Colburn Celebrity Recitals 1 (CE1) — Tens of millions of viewers watched in awe as Alexandre Kantorow played Ravel in the rain at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Now, the pianist described by Fanfare as “Liszt reincarnated” returns to LA. Kantorow puts himself in direct comparison to the great pianist-composer by opening his recital with Liszt’s emotional rendition of a Bach cantata. Anchoring the program are sonatas by Medtner and Rachmaninoff—two friends and composers whose music is often marked by intricate fingerwork and evocative melodies that carry both a sense of grandeur and intimacy. Chopin’s prelude, while the shortest piece on the program, proves Kantorow to be “the real deal, a fire-breathing virtuoso with a poetic charm and innate stylistic mastery” (Gramophone). This series is generously supported by the Colburn Foundation.