Concerts | The piano man

The legendary English pianist Peter Donohoe is all set to wow Mumbai audiences with two recitals this month

ISSUE DATE: Oct 14, 2024

Mumbai’s classical music scene is about to witness an extraordinary event as the world-renowned British pianist Peter Donohoe makes his Indian debut. He will perform with the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) Chamber Orchestra on October 17, followed by a solo piano recital on October 18 at the Tata Theatre. These performances mark a significant cultural milestone, introducing one of the most acclaimed pianists of our time to the Indian stage.

Donohoe, a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music and a former student of Olivier Messiaen, has spent over four decades building a career defined by technical brilliance, deep musical insight and stylistic versatility. He has collaborated with leading orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Royal Concertgebouw, and his recordings of Mozart, Brahms and Grieg have earned him critical acclaim.

The October 17 concert will showcase Donohoe in the dual role of conductor and soloist. The programme features Edvard Grieg’s ‘Holberg Suite’, Benjamin Britten’s ‘Simple Symphony’ and Edward Elgar’s ‘Introduction’ and ‘Allegro for Strings’, a piece originally written for the London Symphony Orchestra. The centrepiece of the evening will be Donohoe’s performance of Mozart’s ‘Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K. 414’, where his commanding technique and profound musicality will take centre stage.

As the SOI continues to gain global recognition, National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) chairman and SOI co-founder Khushroo N. Suntook highlights the orchestra’s growing reputation: “There is evidence from the recent concerts featuring Maestro Zubin Mehta and Maestro Plácido Domingo with the SOI that we have some of the world’s top talent performing at the moment. Both Mehta and Domingo expressed their satisfaction with the orchestra, which signifies that we have come of age. I am looking forward to audiences attending the upcoming concert by Peter, who is indeed a legendary figure in the piano world, particularly in the UK, where he is held in very high regard.”

Donohoe’s solo recital on October 18 promises to be equally compelling. The programme includes Felix Mendelssohn’s ‘Fantasie in F-sharp Minor’, Frederic Chopin’s ‘24 Preludes’, Mozart’s ‘Sonata No. 6 in D Major’, and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s ‘Variations on a Theme of Chopin’. This eclectic selection will highlight Donohoe’s remarkable ability to interpret works from different periods and styles, from the Classical to the Romantic era.

Donohoe’s Indian debut is poised to be a landmark cultural event, offering audiences the rare opportunity to witness a pianist of extraordinary international stature.