Pianist Haochen Zhang Photo: Benjamin Ealovega 2016
It's over two hundred years old, but there's still more to be discovered about Beethoven's Emperor Concerto.
Chinese-born Haochen Zhang will make his New Zealand debut playing the composer's 5th Piano Concerto with the Auckland Philharmonia this week.
Zhang spoke with RNZ Concert host Bryan Crump ahead of the concert. Crump wanted to know how he made such a well-known piece of music his own.
Zhang told Crump that as he's got older and wiser, he's looked less at stamping his own personality on a performance, and focused more on discovering the sometimes hidden wonders of Beethoven's music.
There's always something new to learn about this guy... Photo: Boston Public Library
There are new things for Zhang discover with every performance of the Emperor Concerto, and those discoveries are a constant source of joy.
Zhang regards Beethoven as one of music's most "honest" creators, and if he can be just as honest in turn as a performer, then he's doing his job.
And if Beethoven's Emperor is a bit too brash for you, try Zhang's version of its opposite twin, Beethoven's 4th concerto.
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