Víkingur Ólafsson to Replace Daniil Trifonov with Berliner Philharmoniker
The Icelandic pianist joins the orchestra for performances of Brahms and Richard Strauss at Carnegie Hall.
Carnegie Hall announced that pianist Víkingur Ólafsson will play Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 1 with conductor Kirill Petrenko leading the Berliner Philharmoniker on both Friday, October 9 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 11 at 2:00 p.m. Mr. Ólafsson steps in for the previously announced Daniil Trifonov who is regrettably unable to appear due to injury. Also on the program for these two performances is Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra.
Mr. Petrenko and the Berliner Philharmoniker open Carnegie Hall's 2026-2027 season with four performances this fall, beginning with a celebratory Opening Night Gala concert on Thursday, October 8 at 7:00 p.m., featuring Italian opera favorites with tenor Jonas Kaufmann, along with Respighi's Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome. In addition to their concerts on October 9 and 11, the orchestra performs Elgar's Enigma Variations and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 on Saturday, October 10 at 8:00 p.m.
About the Artist
Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson is one of today's most celebrated classical artists, acclaimed for his distinctive musical voice and deeply considered interpretations of some of the great works of the piano repertoire. His recordings resonate deeply with audiences around the world, reaching more than one billion streams and winning numerous awards, including a 2025 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo, BBC Music Magazine's Album of the Year, and an Opus Klassik for Solo Recording of the Year two years in a row. Other notable honors include the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal, Rolf Schock Prize in Musical Arts, Gramophone's Artist of the Year, Musical America's Instrumentalist of the Year, Iceland's Order of the Falcon, as well as Iceland's Presidential Export Award.
Last November, Mr. Ólafsson released his latest album, Opus 109, which places Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30 at its heart. In an illuminating and thrilling musical dialogue with Schubert, J. S. Bach, and other works by Beethoven, it traces lineages that converge on this masterpiece of the piano literature. He tours the anticipated new program widely, bringing it to the greatest concert halls across Europe and North America.
In the 2025–2026 season, Mr. Ólafsson toured to the United States with the Philharmonia Orchestra, including an October 2025 concert at Carnegie Hall. He also collaborated with the Berliner Philharmoniker with Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic under Sir Antonio Pappano, and reunited with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of John Adams for performances of After the Fall, a piano concerto Mr. Adams wrote expressly for him. Other highlights included a concert to mark the 100th birthday of György Kurtág at Müpa Budapest; a residency at Cal Performances, Berkeley; and the commencement of his curatorship of the Lucerne Festival, Pulse. Mr. Ólafsson performed most recently at Carnegie Hall in March 2026, appearing in recital at Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage.
Program Information
Friday, October 9, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER
Kirill Petrenko, Chief Conductor
Víkingur Ólafsson, Piano
JOHANNES BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15
Richard Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30
The Berliner Philharmoniker Residency at Carnegie Hall is made possible by a leadership gift from the Marina Kellen French Foundation.
Ticket Information
Tickets are available online at carnegiehall.org, by calling 212-247-7800, or at the Carnegie Hall Box Office. Artists, programs, and prices are subject to change.
