The Golden Age of Piano: A Tribute to Chopin

This October marks 177 years since the passing of Frédéric Chopin, the quintessential poet of the piano who fundamentally redefined what the instrument could express. Join concert pianist Christopher Malek as he commemorates this musical genius with The Golden Age of Piano: A Tribute to Chopin – an afternoon celebrating the era when the piano reigned supreme.

The performance honours Chopin’s extraordinary legacy on two distinct fronts. Part I immerses the listener entirely in his world through a dramatic, carefully crafted arc: opening with the noble triumph of the ‘Military’ Polonaise, winding through the quiet nocturnal poetry and restless brilliance of his Nocturnes and Fantaisie-Impromptu, before culminating in the electrifying grandeur of the ‘Heroic’ Polonaise.

Part II widens the lens to frame Chopin’s genius within the broader Golden Age. Christopher Malek presents a selection of masterworks that showcase the full breadth and depth of the instrument: reflecting the pristine counterpoint and clarity of Bach and Mozart that shaped Chopin’s craft, the boundless melodic poetry of Schubert, and the electrifying bravura of his great contemporary, Franz Liszt.

Program

Part I

F. Chopin:

Polonaise in A major, Op. 40, No. 1 (‘Military’)

Nocturne in C-sharp minor, B. 49 / Op. posth.

Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, Op. 66

Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2

Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53 (‘Heroic’)

Interval

Part II

J.S. Bach (arr. Busoni): Chorale Prelude: ‘Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland’, BWV 659

F. Schubert: Impromptu in G-flat major, Op. 90, No. 3 (D. 899)

W.A. Mozart: Twelve Variations on ‘Ah vous dirai-je, Maman’, K. 265/300e

F. Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 in D-flat major, S. 244/6

About the Pianist

"So rare to hear a pianist of this calibre with such an intimate knowledge of the Chopin repertoire at his fingertips, the capacity audience was left breathless, mesmerised and in awe of his performance" –Swan Magazine

Christopher Malek is one of Australia's finest international concert pianists. Thanks to his musicality, poetic quality of his interpretation and extraordinary virtuosity, he is best known for his performances of music of the romantic period, especially Chopin and Liszt where he continues the grand tradition of the golden age of piano.

Christopher has graduated with highest distinction for extraordinary artistic achievements from a special talents school – Z. Brzewski State Music High School in Warsaw, Poland. He had studied with Theresa Manasterska at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Victor Makarov (himself a student of Regina Horowitz, the sister of Vladimir Horowitz) in Sydney, Australia, Lee Kum Sing (who was a pupil of Julius Katchen and Magda Tagliaferro) at the Vancouver Academy of Music in Canada and Natalia Sheludiakova at the Australian Institute of Music. Always in pursuit of the finest quality he had taken part in Masterclasses with some of the greatest pedagogues including Victor Merzhanov (Moscow Conservatory), Oxana Yablonskaya (Juilliard School), Rita Reichman (ANAM Melbourne), Vladimir Viardo (Moscow Conservatory), Alexey Orlovetzky (St Petersburg Conservatory), Christopher Elton (Royal Academy of Music, London) and more.

Mr Malek is a top prizewinner of a number of national and international competitions. Read more

Pianist Christopher Malek will be performing on a Steinway & Sons grand piano provided by Theme & Variations Piano Services.