Last year, the legendary pianist Grigory Sokolov, who offered the audience at the Estonia Concert Hall a deeply moving musical experience, will return to Tallinn with a new programme in June 2026. His contemporaries have recognised Sokolov as one of the most outstanding representatives of his generation. He captivates listeners with his creative imagination, compelling spontaneity, and total dedication to music. For many years, the pianist has performed exclusively in solo recitals, and his programmes are exceptionally well conceived and deeply felt — each season he focuses on just a single programme. “Sokolov is an apostle of pure art: there is in him no striving for fame or glamour. His focus lies solely on an unrelenting immersion in the mysteries of piano artistry and the search for interpretative truth. Listening to Sokolov, I have always been genuinely struck by his extraordinary pianistic refinement and musical conviction,” notes pianist Sten Lassmann.
The foundation of Sokolov’s powerful interpretations lies in his immersion in an astonishingly wide-ranging repertoire, encompassing the entire history of Western music — from medieval sacred polyphony and Baroque music to the great figures of Romanticism and major works of the 20th century. At the same time, he is able to offer fresh perspectives even on the most familiar works. Also noteworthy is Sokolov’s approach to the instruments on which he performs — he spends hours getting to know each piano in order to achieve the most perfect result possible. He considers the partnership between performer and instrument to be of utmost importance in conveying his musical ideas. Critics have highlighted the pianist’s exceptionally sensitive use of the pedal, as well as his ability to bring out different voices within complex polyphonic textures and to shape flowing melodic lines. It has been said of Sokolov that “every note speaks, and every note has its meaning”.
Sokolov’s programme this year is framed by two truly monumental works from the pinnacle of the Western piano repertoire. Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Sonata is among the composer’s more expansive works in the genre and demonstrates a remarkable maturity already evident in his early creative period. It reveals Beethoven’s orchestral way of thinking, combining a heroic and majestic mode of expression with profound emotional depth. The second movement of the sonata has even been described by pianist András Schiff as one of the finest slow movements in the entire history of music. Schubert’s final Piano Sonata in B-flat major, completed only a few weeks before the composer’s death, brings a grand concluding statement to his piano oeuvre. From its sublime opening notes to its overflowing final bars, one can continuously marvel at the composer’s inexhaustible inspiration and the beautiful balance between substance and mastery. Between these two sonatas, Sokolov has chosen Beethoven’s Bagatelles, Op. 126, as a contrast — concise and concentrated musical gems, rich in detail and mood, which the composer himself regarded as among his finest works in the genre.
Estonia Concert hall • Estonia puiestee 4, 10148 Tallinn, Harju maakond, Estonia
