Simon Trpčeski brought a level of flash and sparkle to his performance of Saint-Saëns’ "Egyptian" Concerto that shows he knows how to be a showman. There was a gorgeous sense of air around the first theme, gently swaying and softy propelled, before giving way to a calmly propulsive first movement in which the orchestral sound was gently airborne throughout, thanks as much to the conducting of Thomas Søndergård as to the orchestral playing.

We are accustomed to thinking of Simon Trpčeski as a superlative pianist,’ wrote The Independent when Trpčeski founded MAKEDONISSIMO in 2018. ‘On the evidence of this concert he’s also a multi-instrumentalist with a winning sound as a folk singer; he’s also a bandleader and an accomplished MC.’ Enough said, except that if you’ve heard Trpčeski’s explosive performances with the full RSNO… well, he’s even more dazzling with this hand-picked folk band, cutting loose in the untamed folk music of his native Macedonia. Hold tight!

Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski is the RSNO’s 2023:24 Artist in Residence. In this short interview, we ask him what he enjoys most about Scotland, performing with the RSNO and the concerts he is looking forward to.

Any suspicions that the best-loved piano concerto in the repertoire might sound routine or stale were dispelled from the outset in this performance by Simon Trpčeski, by turns majestic, heaven-storming, intimate, dreamy and terpsichorean. The Macedonian pianist immediately warmed to the orchestra and audience, bringing an intensity of focus and purpose to his interpretation.

Saturday, 17 February 2024, 7.30pm GMT

Saint-Saëns - Piano Concerto no.2 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Maestro Thomas Søndergård at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow

After the interval, meanwhile, came a deeply felt performance of Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto with Simon Trpčeski as soloist. He brought plenty of weight, insight and drama to the organically unfolding opening movement and the turbulent scherzo, yet it was the delicacy of his playing elsewhere that will linger most in the memory – the sense of quiet stillness at the centre of the slow movement, for instance, or the grace of the finale, with its understated elegance and wit.

Orthodox New Year's Eve, Saturday 13 January 2024, 20:00h Auditorium Rainier III, Monaco

MAKEDONISSIMO - Transcriptions of traditional Macedonian music by Pande Shahov in collaboration with Simon Trpčeski

Pande SHAHOV - Pletenki: Plaits (Les tresses)

‍

The German Record Critics' Prize presents the current longlist 1/2024. The currently 154 critic jurors have nominated a total of 292 new releases from the last quarter in 32 categories that are eligible for the next best list. The 1/2024 leader board will be published on February 15th. Longlist 1/2024 Jury concerts...-Brahms: Piano Concertos No. 1 & 2. Simon Trpčeski, WDR SO, Cristian Măcelaru (Linn)...

The critics of this newspaper (film, theater, art, music and literature) chose ten of the most successful works from fields that were shown, performed, published or organized this year in Serbia.

Simon Trpčeski’s playing has always had a touch of brilliance, which has ample chance to glitter, but he doesn’t stint on the requisite grandeur of sound. Granitey octaves often alternate with rounded legato; and his sense of rubato is superb, with a subtle holding-back at key moments, as in the second theme of the D minor’s first movement. There’s a beautiful sense of balance and line, phrased with a natural ebb and flow while bringing out the songfulness. He and Măcelaru seem to bounce ideas off one another as the character of the themes emerges and gels. — Jessica Duchen, BBC Music Magazine