Russian Pianist Kirill Gerstein Returns To Jones Hall To Perform Brahms' Powerful Piano Concerto No. 1

The Houston Symphony and Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada welcome back Russian pianist Kirill Gerstein to Jones Hall at 8 p.m. Jan.11-13 for Kirill Gerstein Plays Brahms.

Famously featured in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, Orozco-Estrada will open the program with Bartók's masterful piece Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, an innovative piece that combines modern sophistication with the visceral excitement of Hungarian folk music. The piece features unique instrumentation and an unusual set up that allows for musical ideas to zoom back and forth across the hall.

The program concludes with Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 featuring piano virtuoso Kirill Gerstein whose playing is distinguished by its clarity of expression and discerning intelligence. Considered the composer's most personal and powerful work, Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 remains a cornerstone of the repertoire today. Its deeply personal work is often praised as a veiled symphony for its ambition and scope.

The concert will take place at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana Street, in Houston's Theater District. For tickets and information, please call (713) 224-7575 or visit www.houstonsymphony.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the Houston Symphony Patron Services Center in Jones Hall (Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). All programs and artists are subject to change.

About the Houston Symphony

During the 2017-18 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its fourth season with Music Director Andrés Orozco- Estrada and continues its second century as one of America's leading orchestras with a full complement of concert, community, education, touring and recording activities. The Houston Symphony, one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas, held its inaugural performance at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston June 21, 1913. Today, with an annual operating budget of $33.9 million, the full-time ensemble of 88 professional musicians presents nearly 170 concerts annually, making it the largest performing arts organization in Houston. Additionally, musicians of the orchestra and the Symphony's four Community-Embedded Musicians offer over 900 community-based performances each year, reaching thousands of people in Greater Houston. For tickets and more information, please visit www.houstonsymphony.org or call 713-224-7575.