Andrey Gugnin Piano Recital

Russian pianist Andrey Gugnin will present a solo recital that pushes the boundaries of live performance, exploring an eternal question: when technique reaches its most profound extremes, can it transcend the established notion of “technique serving art” and evolve into an independent artistic language?

The concert commences with two salon-style miniatures by Grieg, unfolding moments of tranquillity through delicate chromaticism and romantic melodies. Gugnin then turns to distilling the grand textures of orchestral works: Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, adapted by Pletnev himself in the 1990s, and Stravinsky's Petrushka, specially transcribed for Rubinstein – both cornerstones for the greatest pianists in history to demonstrate supreme artistry.

In the second half, Gugnin will ascend one of the pinnacles of the piano repertoire: Liszt's Twelve Transcendental Études. This collection is not merely a test of physical prowess, but Liszt's declaration that ‘technique is art’. Having triumphed at premier international competitions in Sydney and Dubai, Gugnin's Liszt recordings earned high praise from Gramophone magazine. In this performance hailed as ‘extreme piano sport’, he will demonstrate with iron will that supreme technique is the essential path to artistic freedom.