Kantorow, Petrova & Friends: Musikfest

Alexandre Kantorow and Liya Petrova bring their Musikfest to Queen Elizabeth Hall on Thursday 15 April 2027, starting at 7.30pm. The two co-curate Musikfest in Paris, and this evening is a taste of that brought over to London, built around kindred spirits in chamber music where intimate conversations and orchestral colours come together. It's a night of chamber music, and the programme moves from the meditative to the expansive.

The first half opens with Liszt's Variations on 'Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen', a transformation of a Bach bassline written in the shadow of personal loss. That's followed by Tchaikovsky's Souvenir de Florence, which gathers six string players around cherished memories of the city. After the interval, the evening continues with Bach's Siciliano, Debussy's Sonata in G minor — his final completed composition — and Bartók's 44 Duos, before Franck's youthful Piano Trio closes the night.

Kantorow and Petrova aren't playing alone. They're joined by a group of musicians: violinists Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux and Lise Berthaud, violist Paul Zientara, and cellists Victor Julien-Laferrière and Aurélien Pascal. Between them, they cover the piano, violin, viola, and cello needed to move through the different ensembles the programme calls for. Kantorow has been described by Gramophone as "a fire-breathing virtuoso with a poetic charm" and by Fanfare as "Liszt reincarnated."

The concert runs for about two hours and 25 minutes, and standard entry starts from £24. Queen Elizabeth Hall is part of the Southbank Centre on Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX.