Jayson Gillham Plays Beethoven Piano Concertos On New ABC Classic 3 CD Set

ABC Classic has released a 3 CD recording of the complete piano concertos by Beethoven, performed by Jayson Gillham, with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Carter.

This cycle is the first in twenty years, recorded by an all-Australian team, comprising pianist, conductor and orchestra, and is a major addition to the ongoing celebrations of Beethoven’s 250th anniversary.

Beethoven’s five piano concertos stand at the very pinnacle of classical music. Written between 1795 and 1809, they trace the evolution of Beethoven’s music from the inheritor of the Classical style perfected by Mozart and Haydn, to the inventor of a style that was entirely his own: dramatic, expressive, and revolutionary.

Recorded in five concerts performed over 10 days at Adelaide’s Elder Hall in June 2019, these recordings capture a soloist, conductor and orchestra totally in synchronicity with each other, sharing their vision for the sound and style of these monumental pieces.

Australian-British pianist Jayson Gillham is one of the finest pianists of his generation. His debut album, released in 2016, reached the No. 1 spot in both the Core Classical and Classical Crossover ARIA charts, while his latest album, 2018’s Romantic Bach, was compared favourably with famous recordings of the past by Rachmaninov, Myra Hess and Dinu Lipatti.

Nicholas Carter was appointed Principal Conductor of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in 2016 – the first Australian to be chosen as Principal Conductor of an Australian orchestra in over 30 years. He has established a reputation as a conductor of exceptional versatility, at home in the concert hall and opera house, and fluent in a diverse repertoire. Newly appointed as Chief Conductor of the Stadttheater Klagenfurt and the Kärntner Sinfonieorchester, Nicholas Carter will lead three new productions per season and appear regularly in the orchestra’s concert series.

The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra is South Australia’s largest performing arts organisation, established in 1936. For over 80 years, the ASO has been an integral part of  South Australia’s performing arts scene. Today, the ASO plays a major role in Adelaide’s cultural and economic vibrancy, and enriches the community through a diverse program of world-class performances to more than 100,000 concertgoers each season.