This concert had to take place in December when the whole world celebrated the 250th anniversary of Ludwig Van Beethoven's birth. The concert was then postponed, but fortunately its time has come relatively quickly. In a program composed entirely of works by the great composer, we will listen to the performance of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, guest conductor - Konstantin Ilievski, soloist - Georgi Cherkin. 

Georgi Cherkin (Georgii Cherkin) is a pianist with an active concert activity all across Europe. In recent years, he has increasingly dedicated himself to one of his favorite activities - orchestration of solo piano works.

"I am very happy that on January 7 we will have the opportunity to perform works in honour of this important anniversary", Georgi Cherkin told Radio Bulgaria. "In addition to the Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor), I am a soloist in my arrangement of Moonlight Sonata, which has already been performed in many countries. Now, ten years later, we will perform it again in the music hall where its premiere took place. I have other similar transcriptions - Beethoven’s Für Elise, Novelette by Robert Schumann, Moonlight by Debussy and even film music by John Williams. I keep the original solo part and add the orchestral sound to it, which gives more nuances to the piece and sounds monumental, especially in larger concert halls. Prestigious music institutions have shown interest in my works. I have performed them with various orchestras at the Gewandhaus (Leipzig), the Moscow International House of Music, etc. To my great joy, the audience likes them a lot. This inspires me the most - to arrange and perform works for piano and orchestra."

The program also includes Gratulations-Menuet created in 1822 in honour of Carl Friedrich Hensler - playwright, theatre director and friend of the famous composer. Name Day (Zur Namensfeier), Op.115 will be also performed. 

"Beethoven wanted to complete this piece for the name day of Emperor Franz on October 4, 1814, but he was unable to finish it on time and the work was performed on another occasion in 1815", conductor Konstantin Ilievski explains. "In fact, Beethoven began to write it much earlier. At one point, he even wanted to bring a choir on Schiller's Ode to Joy into the piece. So, in a sense, the overture is predecessor of the Ninth Symphony - one of Beethoven's most beloved and performed works. I selected these little-known works, as well as the two masterpieces, to properly celebrate the birth anniversary of this true giant of classical music."