Events

Private event hosted by the National Theatre of Bucharest. The organiser is exclusively liable for the quality and content of this event!

Piano Battle – two pianists, six rounds, Chopin vs. Liszt, Debussy vs. Schubert, white vs. black.

Who shall win? The audience decides, on 8^th October 2018, at the National Theatre of Bucharest.

Not every day, one has the opportunity of witnessing a battle one wishes to be endless. Not every day, one has the opportunity of listening to an exceptional live performance of the works by Chopin or Liszt and certainly not every day one shall see two international performers fighting on stage and for whom the sole prize is to conquer you. On 8^th October 2018, the pianists Andreas Kern and Paul Cibis shall fight a duel at the National Theatre of Bucharest in a unique concert-show, entitled Piano Battle - Andreas vs Paul.

Who is the best pianist? This is the challenge which the audience must solve with the aid of ears, eyes and heart. Piano Battle - Andreas vs Paul represents a concert - show placing the spotlights on two rivalling pianists, very different from many points of view, but equally strong and competent, who compete in order to win the audience’s affection, having different styles, techniques and artistic personalities. In this unique battle, the antagonistic styles of the two pianists areset on against each other. In the meantime, many rules and conventions of classical concerts are breached, while these two artists, armed with charm and boldness, overcome limits and explore new territories, presenting things which you cannot enjoy within classical concerts, fully preserving the beauty of classical music per se. The repertoire is broad, from Schubert and Chopin to Scriabin and Ligeti.Faithful to their origins, the pianists tackle the challenge with virtuosity and energy. Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov and Scriabin? No problem. Fingers shall fly on the keys, and the audience shall see what the two artists are capable of. But strength and speed are not everything – the tone, the phrasing and the refined nuances are also key ingredients for a persuasive performance. This shall work with Schubert, Brahms or Debussy, or are these too comfortable choices? It is in the pipeline to experiment, to be bold, contemporary and sporty. Who can perform the piano and play ping-pong at the same time? And who can improvise better? The audience shall know. This 90 minute show does not only come down to piano performance, but it tackles words, ideas and individual styles. Who has the best jokes? Who is most innovative and funny? As the audience shall also discover, the key to success is the positive attitude, efficient communication and the execution at the appropriate moment. The two artists even go further, to spontaneously improvising pieces requested by the audience.

You shall be the jury

In this show, you are the arbitrators! All spectators are invited to vote on the performances of the pianists, selecting, in the end, a winner. And your involvement in the concert might not stop here... Within the traditional concerts of classical music, the audience is in a passive position – beholding the performance and listening to music without interacting with the artists. But, within Piano Battle, the members of the auditorium play an active role, in a manner which improves both the musical experience and the entertainment factor. Since the very beginning, one thing is clear: when two artists have a confrontation, it is a delight for the audience. At the end of each round, all spectators are invited to vote on the performances of the two – and, in the end, to select a winner.

Piano Battle is an original concept, initially created for the Hong Kong City Festival, which fills the concert halls and the halls of the renowned festivals from Asia, Europe and North America.

Andreas Kern

Born in South Africa de Sud, Andreas Kern studied piano in Cologne and Berlin with Günter Ludwig and Pascal Devoyon. As a soloist and performer in an orchestra, he gave concerts in Europe, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Japan, India and South Africa. Man of television and rebellious musician, Andreas has always tried to present classical music in manners as unconventional as possible. From associations with theatre or dance, Andreas has attracted many young people to his shows.  

Paul Cibis

Havin studied in Hannover, Berlin and London, Paul Cibis is an international presence, already performing on five continents. Paul was invited to sing at international festivals in the United Kingdom, Germany, USA, South Africa, China, Taiwan, Australia or New Zeeland. Alongside the numerous concerts he held, he also participated in countless radio and TV broadcasts worldwide, like the stations BBC, WDR, 3Sat, ORB, HR, RTHK or CCTV. Among the numerous albums he launched, Paul also creates a collection of piano studies from Berlioz, Faure and Debussy, in collaboration with mezzo-soprano Barbara Senator. His last album comprises a series of solo performances of the works of Taiwanese composer Kai-nan Huang.

Paul was also involved in film productions, composing the music for a series of short films, as well as for the documentary awarded at several international film festivals, Pianomania.

More details about Piano Battle – http://www.pianobattle.com or on the eponymous Facebook page.

The tickets to the concert Piano Battle from the National Theatre of Bucharest, from 8 October 2018, can be purchased from the Eventim network (the storesGermanos, Vodafone, Orange, Domo, the bookshops Humanitas, Cărtureşti) or online from http://www.eventim.ro/ro/

Events is one of the greatest companies organising events in Romania, whose mission is to bring entertainment as close as possible to people. Since 2000, their slogan is “unforgettable”, and the events which shall always remain in the memory of spectators include the concertsThe Rolling Stones, Linkin Park, Aerosmith, The CranberriesorLeonard Cohen, Pink Martini, the shows Cirque du SoleilorSensation.

Translated by Simona Nichiteanu