FAZIL SAY ZNOVU V BRNĚ

LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Op. 31 No. 2, “The Tempest”
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57, “Appassionata”
FAZIL SAY
original compositions “à la carte”

Fazıl Say, piano

Turkish pianist and composer Fazıl Say (1970) is, without exaggeration, a favorite of the Brno audience, whose hearts he won over as early as January 2009 with his performance of Saint-Saëns’s Piano Concerto No. 2. He left an even greater impression in Brno as the resident artist of the 2013/2014 philharmonic season, when he presented himself in his dual artistic role as performer and composer: Brno audiences will surely recall the memorable performances of Say’s First Symphony “Istanbul” (which combined the sound of a symphony orchestra with traditional Turkish instruments) and the Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra (with Gábor Boldoczky as soloist), or of Sayo’s unforgettable solo performance in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major.

Say’s recital in the spring of 2014 also became a memorable event; coincidentally, it also served as the baptism of fire for the new Steinway piano recently purchased for the Besední dům. Audience interest in the concert was enormous; the hall was bursting at the seams, and for the first time in the history of the Besední dům, audience chairs were arranged on the stage around the piano. And the standing ovation that day seemed to go on forever…

Once again, we offer the opportunity to share the pianist’s energy right on stage.

Fazıl Say returned to Brno in October 2025. He performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Filharmonie Brno and Dennis Russell Davies in Janáček Theatre — two sold-out evenings in a row—once again sent the audience into a frenzy of enthusiasm.

“A man of God, one might say. Outwardly, Fazıl Say comes across as a playful, impatient, overgrown child who can’t sit still for a moment on the piano stool. (…) Fazıl Say thoroughly enjoys music, and the soloist has the tremendous gift of being able to convey his fiery passion to everyone in the audience. There was not a single person in the hall who did not succumb to this magic. The pianist’s range of touch, dynamic range, and artistry in sudden shifts of mood were truly captivating. His sparkling technique came across as an unpretentious, playful game.” Emil Drápela, Opera PLUS, October 3, 2025

The recital preceding two orchestral concerts will feature two famous sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven—whose 200th anniversary of his death we will commemorate in 2027—alongside original compositions by Fazıl Say, some of which may be in the process of being created.