Our deepest thanks and best wishes for his continued success

This year Rafał's fans had a great start, blessed and enlightened with his interpretations for the new album "Debussy Szymanowski".

A flood of enthusiastic reviews in U.K. and other Europe followed:
Example from UK

".....he's an artist of imagination and perception, with a fabulous range of keyboard touch and colour.... the clarity of the playing is exceptional, but so, too, is the intelligence shaping it. It's a remarkable disc." (The Guardian)

While music fans were mesmerized by the new disk, Blechacz began giving performances in Europe, both solo recitals and concertos with orchestras.

Whenever I found an enthusiastic review of the CD and live performances I was happy but sometimes the volume was overwhelming and daunting during the spring.



Debussy Szymanowski,
Recording of the Month, Gramophone, May

*****
Live performances, 2012

program website ☆
review　★

Feb. 3, 4, 5
Concerto No. 4 by Beethoven with Orquesta Nacional de España, directed by Josep Pons, @Auditorio Nacional de Musica, Madrid　☆★

Feb. 25, 26, 27, 28
Concerto No. 4 by Beethoven with Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, directed by Andrés Orozco-Estrada @Sala Santa Cecilia, Parco della Musica, Rome ☆★★

March 2　@Sala della Filarmonica, Trento　☆★★
March 6, @Conservatorio "G. Verdi", Milan ☆ fan
March 9, @Auditorium-Orchestre national de Lyon
March 14, @Palais des Beaux-Arts / Salle Henry Le Bœuf　☆★★★
March 18, @Nieuwe Kerk,The Hague　fan
March 21 @Philharmonie Luxembourg ☆★

April 16 @Großer Sendesaal,Hannover ★★

April 18 @Laeiszhalle, Hamburg ★
April 20 @Kongresshaus Stadthalle, Heidelberg
April 22 @Stadttheater Wels, Austria ☆ Video

April 27 @Kultur-und Kongresszentrum Liederhalle (Beethoven-Saal), Stuttgart ★ fan



May 10 Concerto no.4 by Beethoven with Tivoli Symphony Orchestra, directed by Alexander Pilianichko ☆★

May 11 Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.3 with Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen; Conductor: Trevor Pinnock at Amsterdam Concertogebouw　☆☆★fan interview

May 22　Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with Filarmonica della Scala, directed by Fabio Luisi @Teatro alla Scala, Milan. ☆ fan

May 25 Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with Warsaw Philharmonic, directed by Antoni Wit @Smetana Hall, Prague ★★

June 6 @Philharmonie Mercatorhalle Duisburg ☆★
June 11 @ auditorium cité de la musique, Strasbourg ☆
June 12 @Salle Pleyel ☆★ Interview

June 28 Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with Filarmonica della Scala, directed by Fabio Luisi @Mariinsky Theatre's Concert Hall in Saint-Petersburg ☆

July 21 Piano Concerto No. 2 by Beethoven　with Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo directed by Roberto Abbado　@Parvis de la basilique Saint Michel Archange for Festival de Musique Menton, Menton ☆ photo

July 23 Recital for La Roque d’Anthéron Festival ☆★

Rafał Blechacz's CD Debussy Szymanowski was selected Solo Recording of the Year (piano, 20/21 centuries) of ECHO Klassik.

Sept. 28 @Frankfurter hof, Mainz, Rheinhessen ☆

Oct. 10 @Union College, Schenectady, NY ★★
Oct. 12 @Duke University, Durham, NC ☆★ interview

Nov. 7  @Tonhalle Düsseldorf ☆
Nov. 12 @Salle Poirel, Nancy, France ☆★Fan
Nov. 15 @L'Auditori Barcelona ☆★★
Nov. 19 @Teatro Principal, Alicante ☆
Nov. 21 @El Auditorio de Baluarte de Pamplona, Pamplona ☆ ★
Nov. 22 @Principe Felipe Congress Hall Auditorium, Oviedo ☆★
Nov. 26 @El teatro Pérez Galdós, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria ☆★

Dec. 5, 6 Beethoven concerto No.2 with Luzerner Sinfonieorchester LSO, directed by James Gaffigan, @Lucerne KKL ☆

Dec. 7 Beethoven concerto No.2 with Luzerner Sinfonieorchester LSO, directed by James Gaffigan, @Victoria Hall ☆

Dec. 11 Beethoven concerto No.2 with Musikkollegium Winterthur, directed by Douglas Boyd
@Kultur Casino Berne ☆

Dec. 12, 13  Beethoven concerto No.2 with Musikkollegium Winterthur, directed by Douglas Boyd @Stadthaus Winterthur ☆

*****
If I pick up a few blog posts that had a lot of reactions from blog readers and via social media, they are;

The one about synesthesia,
I received a lot of comments from synesthetes of several countries.

For example,
".....I'm a synesthete too and I discovered that our colors are 'inverted'. For example, for him B major is orange and A major is yellow. For me, it's the contrary. And for me, G major is blue and D major is green. For him, it's the contrary. It's weird to think about it since we hear the same things but we see different things, and yet we can appreciate the piece in the same way..."(by Marine)

About bonus track "Clair de lune" and Rafał's message to Japanese audience.

In the first half of the coming new year Rafał will be focused on concertos with orchestras in UK, Germany, Switzerland, Luxemburg, etc...he'll tour in Japan, too. 
Our best wishes for his continued good health, happiness, and success in the new year.

Japanese