The favourites of David de Jong

'A phenomenal start to the new season: Martha Argerich, Yuja Wang and Beatrice Rana, the grande ladies of the piano in a short time with our orchestra on stage! When Martha Argerich came to play last season, I was already over the moon. So nice to have her back. Yuja Wang is also fantastic, she is my second favorite pianist. Martha does Shostakovich's First, Yuja Wang did the Second last year: then I saw them both with Sjos' concerts. Very nice. Yuja plays Bartók, music that I don't put on to relax, but is impressive in terms of playing. The Second Piano Concerto is one of the most difficult pieces. I hope I'm close enough to the stage to watch her pull this off. Beatrice Rana does Rachmaninov's Second, which is so beautiful and romantic, loved by everyone. And then Janine Jansen with Sibelius; I've never seen a concert with her. It's amazing that such greatness plays with our orchestra. And then in March: a wonderful program with Rachmaninov's Paganini rhapsody alongside Romeo and Juliet. The eighteenth variation from this rhapsody is perhaps the most beautiful piece of music ever written.'