28 NOVEMBER 2026 · 7:00 PM · SALA RADIO, BUCHAREST
Vienna X Gershwin
Two Worlds. One Pulse.
Two rebels. Two musical worlds. One shared pulse. An evening celebrating composers who dared to challenge convention and transform the music of their time: Beethoven and Gershwin.
Two musical revolutions
Beethoven · The freedom to feel differently
In Vienna, the young Beethoven knew the rules of Classical music — and precisely how to push them further. Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15, balances dazzling virtuosity with moments of unexpected intimacy. The slow movement feels almost like a confession, while the final rondo turns the dialogue with the orchestra into a game full of surprises and wit.
A curious paradox: Piano Concerto No. 1 was not the first concerto Beethoven composed. It was given this number because it was published before his other early concerto.
Gershwin · When the streets conquer the concert hall
New York, 1925. Gershwin brings the pulse of the Charleston, the blues and the energy of jazz into a large-scale symphonic score. His Concerto in F does not erase the origins of these rhythms; it gives them a new voice on the concert stage. The orchestra becomes a city in motion, and the piano answers with freedom and daring.
1946—2026
80 years of Wiener KammerOrchester
Founded in 1946, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra celebrates eight decades of music-making with an anniversary tour that reaches Bucharest. Viennese tradition meets the energy of American music in a special concert featuring pianist Ioan-Dragoș Dimitriu.
The Bösendorfer Imperial · A new life
The Bösendorfer Imperial grand piano, which has been at Sala Radio since 2010, is due to be restored for this concert. The instrument becomes part of the evening’s story: a meeting of heritage, craftsmanship and living music.
Concert programme
Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15
George Gershwin
Five songs from the Songbook, for solo piano
George Gershwin
Piano Concerto in F major
A meeting between Vienna and Bucharest
The concert is supported by principal sponsor BCR and AFI România, with the involvement of the Austrian Embassy in Bucharest and the Austrian Cultural Forum. Media partner: Radio România Muzical.