Last night, Benjamin made his debut at New York’s Peoples’ Symphony Concerts series, one of the oldest and most beloved chamber music series in New York.
He performed Schumann's Blumenstück op.19 and Kreisleriana op. 16, Janácek's Sonate 1.X. 1905, a selection of Prokofiev's Visions fugitives Op. 22 and Liszt's Réminiscences de Norma, a programme he has recently performed in Europe to critical acclaim. Süddeutsche Zeitung praised “his astounding technical gifts, the freshness of his imagination, his intense concentration, the absence of any kind of show, and the unmistakable sense of poetic immersion directed solely at the realization of music.”
Ahead of Benjamin's debut, Frank Salomon, Manager of the series since the 1972-73 season said: "We are delighted to be introducing Benjamin Grosvenor to our musically knowledgeable and appreciative audience and to presenting his only New York solo recital of the season. The series has a tradition of presenting the most exceptional artists - those already established and those that we feel have the potential of being among the very best. We are very much looking forward to having Benjamin share his music-making with all of us."
The Peoples’ Symphony has provided affordable concerts to New Yorkers since its founding in 1900. In addition to presenting the leading artists of the day, the series devotes at least one third of its concerts each season to rising stars. Among those it has presented early in their careers are Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Yefim Bronfman, Emerson Quartet, Guarneri Quartet, Gidon Kremer, Lang Lang, Radu Lupu, Murray Perahia, Andras Schiff, Gil Shaham, and Pinchas Zukerman.
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