“a prosperous voyage of friendship”

On January 4, you'll experience something increasingly rare in concert halls: a window into the kind of musical intimacy that can only emerge from years of trust, friendship, and shared creative vision. Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy don't just play together—they think, breathe, and create as one, and you'll feel that depth of connection in every phrase. The first half draws you entirely into the world of four-hands Schubert, where both pianists share the same keyboard, their hands crossing and interweaving mere inches apart. Watch them navigate the tempestuous Lebensstürme ("Storms of Life"), D. 947, the buoyant Rondo in D Major, D. 608, and the deeply expressive Fantasie in F Minor, D. 940—music Schubert composed for friends to play together in intimate salon settings, now brought directly into your presence. After intermission, you'll discover why Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances, op. 45, stands as one of the greatest works for two pianos. Rachmaninov composed these dances in 1940—his final masterwork—and created this version to perform with his friend, the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz. Listen as echoes of Russian church bells, waltzes from another era, and surging rhythms transport you into a world where musical friendship becomes art.

Described as "piano magicians" by The Arts Desk and celebrated for their "electrifying intimacy" by The Guardian, Kolesnikov and Tsoy have spent years living, working, and creating music side by side. Their 2024 debut album on Harmonia Mundi earned rave reviews from The Guardian, Gramophone Magazine, and Le Monde, with BBC Music Magazine calling it "magical." The album also received the prestigious Diapason D'Or. Portland audiences now have the rare opportunity to witness this artistry up close at Lincoln Performance Hall—an afternoon that offers more than a recital. You'll leave having experienced the kind of artistic symbiosis that happens when two souls merge into one, those magical moments when you can no longer distinguish where one pianist ends and the other begins. This is your invitation to be part of something extraordinary.

FRANZ SCHUBERT
Lebensstürme, D. 947
Rondo in D Major, D. 608
Fantasie in F Minor, D. 940

SERGEI RACHMANINOV
Symphonic Dances, op. 45