The evening's centerpiece, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, marked a second debut at the Lingotto: that of Simon Trpčeski (Skopje, 1979), one of the most recognized pianists on the international scene. A masterful artist combining breathtaking virtuosity and intense musicality, Trpčeski trained in Macedonia before coming to the attention of the general public in the early 2000s with his London debut at Wigmore Hall and his selection as a BBC New Generation Artist, a decisive step in the launch of an international career. Since then, he has appeared with major European and American orchestras and collaborated with leading conductors, authoritatively tackling a repertoire ranging from Chopin and Brahms to the twentieth-century works of Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff. Alongside his concert activity, his cultural commitment stands out: with the Makedonissimo project he has brought the Macedonian musical tradition to the international stage, affirming an artistic personality both open and deeply rooted in his own identity.

His style reveals an energetic yet controlled pianism, attentive to formal construction and lyricism. Tchaikovsky's performance is less turgid than usual, with an almost Mozartian elegance—no coincidence, considering the Russian composer's love for the Salzburg genius, revered as a model of formal and expressive perfection and consciously honored in The Queen of Spades. After the monumental, solemn, and visionary attack, the piano asserts itself as a protagonist, never purely exhibitionistic: the dialogue with the orchestra remains intense, alternating between heroic momentum and intimate lyricism. In Trpčeski's interpretation, the concerto combines controlled emotional impetus, melodic invention, and a communicative force of marked theatricality.

In the two encores, persistently requested by the audience, the pianist once again returned to the Makedonissimo project , performing the lively Piperkovo (Paprika Dance), which he himself had developed; the even more impetuous Precipitato from Prokofiev's Sonata No. 7 was even more compelling. Before his final farewell, Honeck and the Santa Cecilia Orchestra offered a rousing Brahms's Hungarian Dance No. 1, capping off an evening that was, in many ways, memorable.

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