The Sofia Philharmonic will perform piano concertos by Robert and Clara Schumann in the same programme on Thursday, the orchestra said.
The concert at Bulgaria Hall on October 15, 2026, will be conducted by Nayden Todorov, with pianist Onute Grazinyte as soloist. The orchestra described the programme as one of the season’s most unusual, bringing together two rarely paired works that tell one of classical music’s most moving love stories.
Few composer couples have left such a deep mark on European culture. The Schumanns were each other’s first critics, sources of inspiration and strongest supporters. When Robert began his Piano Concerto, Clara encouraged him to expand the original single-movement fantasy into a complete three-movement work. She also performed the solo part at its premiere in 1845. One of the Romantic era’s best-loved piano concertos thus bears her creative imprint too.
The programme also features Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, which the orchestra described as a musical discovery for Bulgarian audiences. She composed it at just 15 and was the soloist at its premiere with the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, conducted by Felix Mendelssohn. After decades in the shadow of her husband’s fame, her music is enjoying a deserved revival, appearing increasingly in the programmes of leading orchestras and concert halls worldwide.
The Schumanns’ story is also one of extraordinary devotion. After Robert became seriously ill, Clara dedicated her life to bringing his music to audiences. Through concerts across Europe, she played a decisive role in establishing his works in the international musical canon, a legacy that continues to inspire performers and listeners nearly two centuries later.
Todorov’s interpretations of Romantic repertoire are among those most highly regarded by Sofia Philharmonic audiences, the orchestra said. Following a series of international successes in recent seasons, he has again chosen to pair a familiar masterpiece with a rarely performed work, bringing an almost forgotten chapter of Romantic music history back to life.
The Lithuanian soloist belongs to one of Europe’s best-known musical families. She is the sister of internationally renowned conductor Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla, with whom she frequently performs at leading European venues. Grazinyte graduated from the National M. K. Ciurlionis School of Art in Vilnius and continued her studies in Hanover and Berlin with Kirill Gerstein. She appears as a soloist with leading European orchestras, and Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto is among the works with which she most frequently impresses international audiences.
Concert to Pair Piano Concertos by Robert and Clara Schumann THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-15 05:59:16
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