'Barefoot Pianist' Sarah Otte, Collaboration with KBS Symphony Orchestra

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3
at Lotte Concert Hall on the 14th

The KBS Symphony Orchestra will hold its 792nd regular concert at 8 p.m. on the 14th at Lotte Concert Hall. Japanese-German pianist Alise Sarah Otte will perform as a soloist, and Christian Lyf, former resident conductor of the San Francisco Symphony, will take the baton.

Otte is famous as the "barefoot pianist" because she takes off her shoes and plays the pedals barefoot when performing. She is a versatile artist active not only as a pianist but also as an illustrator and designer. In November 2021, Otte performed Ravel's Piano Concerto with the KBS Symphony Orchestra. She has released 10 albums with the world-renowned record label Deutsche Grammophon (DG) and continues to perform with the world's top orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and LA Philharmonic.

Lyf is visiting Korea for the first time. He studied conducting at the Mozarteum University Salzburg in Austria and the Juilliard School in New York and gained recognition as the resident conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. He currently serves as the music director of the Lakes Area Music Festival in Minnesota, USA, and as the principal conductor of the Swiss Yverdon Symphony Orchestra.

Pianist Alice Sara Ott [Photo by KBS Symphony Orchestra]

The first half of the concert by the KBS Symphony Orchestra will be filled with Beethoven's works. The first piece performed will be Beethoven's "Leonore Overture No. 3." This overture, repeatedly revised by Beethoven for his only opera "Fidelio," is one of the frequently performed overtures due to its grand and dramatic effect.

Next, Otte will perform Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 3." Among Beethoven's piano concertos, this is the only one in a minor key, composed during the early onset of his hearing loss, reflecting his inner dark psychology.

In the second half, Richard Strauss's symphonic poem "Also sprach Zarathustra" will be performed. Strauss composed this symphonic poem inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's novel of the same name. The introductory music is widely known as the opening music of Stanley Kubrick's film "2001: A Space Odyssey."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.