Rafał Blechacz - Chopin: The Piano Concertos (2009)

After his successful Deutsche Grammophon debut recording of Chopin Preludes, Rafał Blechacz returns to the composer who helped make him famous with this all-new recording of Chopin's Piano Concertos nos. 1 & 2. As the winner of the 2005 International Chopin Competition at the young age of only 20, Blechacz was awarded not only the rarely given first prize but also all four special prizes for best sonata, mazurka, concerto and polonaise performances. Since then, Blechacz has performed in Europe, Japan and North America to critical acclaim and has already ensured himself a huge following among piano aficionados. These two concertos, cornerstones of every pianist's repertory, are especially central to Rafał Blechacz's introduction to the world-stage. He performed the E minor concerto at the 2005 Chopin Competition and has used both works for numerable memorable debuts around the world. His affinity with Chopin runs deeper than just their shared nationality: Blechacz possesses an exceptional intelligence that gives him an in-depth understanding of the music he performs and a degree of perception that allows him to infallibly grasp the aesthetic and spiritual dimensions of the compositions he interprets. For this recording Blechacz is joined by Polish conductor Jerzy Semkow and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.