Pianists Louis Lortie & Illia Ovcharenko

Louis Lortie and Illia Ovcharenko play St. Andrew's United Church on Saturday, October 3, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. It's a two-piano program, with the two of them sharing the stage rather than taking turns. The main event is Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, arranged for two pianos by Franz Liszt.

That arrangement is the whole point of the night. Liszt wrote it in 1851, translating the full orchestral score—including the 'Ode to Joy' finale—down to two pianos. Back then, before recordings, arrangements like this were how people heard major orchestral works outside the concert hall, and Liszt played a big part in making Beethoven's symphonies a staple of the concert repertoire. Hearing the Ninth played by four hands instead of a full orchestra changes the whole feel of it.

The pairing brings together two very different careers. Louis Lortie is a celebrated Canadian pianist, and this is his first Halifax appearance in more than forty years. Illia Ovcharenko is the 2026/27 Musician-in-Residence, and this concert opens his three-date residency at the church. Ovcharenko has built an international career with appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw and Wigmore Hall.

The residency is presented with Main Stage Concerts, presenting partner Lang Optometry & Eyewear and season sponsor NICE MOVES / Red Door Realty. The concert runs from 7:30 to 9:30 pm at St. Andrew's United Church, 6036 Coburg Rd, Halifax, NS B3H 1Y9.