Daniil Trifonov, Piano

Daniil Trifonov has arrived as the unquestioned next superstar of classical piano. "What makes him such a phenomenon is the ecstatic quality he brings to his performances - an all-consuming intensity-of-belonging on the public platform that translates into something thrilling, absorbing, inspiring," wrote the Financial Times. This prize pupil of Sergei Babayan (also seen at Duke Performances this season) has made rapturously received debuts in recent years as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic, the Mariinsky Orchestra, and the Vienna Philharmonic, as well as highly regarded recital appearances at Carnegie Hall.

The young Russian powerhouse will perform a program made up of miniatures. This includes pieces from his countrymen: several of Shostakovich's Bach-inspired Preludes and Fugues, and selections from Stravinsky's free-spirited ballet score for Petrouchka. He brings both sensitivity and fire to Schumann's beloved compendia Kreisleriana and Kinderszenen, the latter a touching and nostalgic look back at childhood.