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.

Simon Trpčeski's upcoming concert on March 20-22, 2024 has been selected by Gramophone as one of the most exciting concerts to look forward to in North America for the season. He will be performing Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto, with esteemed conductor Jakub Hrůša leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

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.

Simon Trpčeski, who performed for the first time with the orchestra, seemed to communicate with Chauhan like music soul mates. What the Macedonian makes of Rachmaninov's piano concerto is rarely heard: he and the orchestra let the music flow in a transparent, exciting, tight and yet passionate way, freeing it from heaviness and exaggerated sweetness.

A concert by Simon Trpčeski, one of the leading pianists of today, was held in the church of Santa Maria in Punta, which ended the music program of the XXXVIII Grad Teatar festival in a magnificent way. Trpčeski said after the performance that he dedicated this concert to his parents. "My life is music, music is my life. I like to share my emotions with the audience and I am glad that we experienced it together tonight at the Grad Teatar festival."

Simon Trpčeski will give a recital tonight in Budva, with a diverse program that expresses the varied human condition. Leading up to the concert, in this interview with Vijesti, Simon discusses the music scene in the Balkans, the role of classical music in society, the particular challenges of being a musician in this world today, and advice to younger colleagues. He also announces an exciting and busy upcoming 2024/2025 season.

The pianist is the Macedonian, Simon Trpčeski. He is admirable. We didn't know him well until a year ago. He was named artist in residence at the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic for the 2023-2024 season. He was therefore associated with several concerts throughout the season. That evening, he participated in his last concert. In this Brahms concerto, he gives everything he has in him. He is both elegant and valiant, indulges in pretty romantic phrases then sets off again with frenzied attacks. The exchanges between the piano and the orchestra are grandiose. Kazuki Yamada, at the head of the orchestra, gives him a sumptuous response.

At the beginning, we didn't know him well. Then, throughout the year, he became a favorite of Monegasque music lovers. He seduced us, dazzled us. We admired him. Even if we still only manage to pronounce his name with difficulty, the Madeconian pianist Simon Trpceski accompanied the entire musical season of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic, having been this season the artist in residence of the year. Arriving from a country where few classical musicians come from, he astonishes us with his virtuosity, with the depth of his playing in the repertoire of great music.

The Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski collaborated with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, where he played Brahms Piano Concert No. 2. His performance was precise and composed, while being relaxed and perfectly clear. He showed great power, particularly in the second movement, where the piano purred against the structure of the work. As an encore, the pianist made a great first: instead of the traditional solo piece to showcase his skills, he invited the concertmaster, principal violist, and principal cellist in a giving a subtle rendition of the Andante movement of the Brahms Quartet No. 3.

The conductor Kristiina Poska and soloist Simon Trpčeski complemented each other perfectly in Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1. The pianist from North Macedonia mastered the technically demanding passages with ease and at the same time showed a great sense for the quiet, lyrical, and delicate.