Standing ovations have often been somewhat routine. A ritual where you can sometimes wonder if it isn't just that. It belongs and everyone gets up out of politeness, sort of. Not so at the Gävlesymfonikerna's season premiere on Friday evening. Simon Trpčeski completely captivated the audience in a rare powerful and intense performance of Brahms' Second Piano Concerto. The stormy cheers afterwards never wanted to end. And on the charming banter from Trpčeski's side and a few encores that kept the mood high.

In the almost sold-out Tonhalle, many subscribers are already raving about it. Some even came home from vacation a few days early, just to hear "Rachmaninoff Two." It paid off for them. This is evident from the beaming faces at the exit. Trpčeski, a native of Macedonia - a reserved grand seigneur with a fabulous, confident pianist technique - sets accents with slender hands, delays, but then really pushes the pedal to the metal. To avoid cramping his fingers, he often shakes his hands loosely before they fly over the keys at a rapid pace. He masters cascades of fast runs coolly - like all virtuoso passages. He shows himself to be a gentleman of quiet tones, always controlling his temperament and volume. In the lyrical catchy tunes, Trpčeski combines dreamy vulnerability with elegant lines. Pearly trills and languishing love songs sound magical.