Schumann-Tchaikovsky Festival

On 26 and 27 February 2026, Chief Conductor Stanislav Kochanovsky and the NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra welcomed Pierre-Laurent Aimard to the stage of the NDR Konzerthaus in Hanover for the Schumann-Tchaikovsky Festival.

There is probably no pianist who has built up a wider repertoire than Pierre-Laurent Aimard over the course of his career, which has now spanned many decades. Yet – contrary to what is often claimed – ‘contemporary’, ‘modern’ or ‘new’ music certainly makes up a large part of Aimard’s repertoire, but by no means the entirety of it.

In fact, the “pianist of superlatives” – as the NDR describes Pierre-Laurent Aimard in its concert announcement – has performed Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor very rarely in his career, and probably even more rarely the Concerto-Allegro with Introduction for Piano and Orchestra in D minor, Op. 134.

For music that relies so fundamentally on an orchestral, overtone-rich, singing and, above all, resonant sound as a compositional means of connecting the piano and orchestra, the appropriate instrument has been lacking until now. And without a suitable instrument, performing this piano concerto made no sense to Pierre-Laurent Aimard for many decades.

This made it all the more important for the pianist, following the invitation from principal conductor Stanislav Kochanovsky, to request the piano duo Op. 353018, which Pierre-Laurent Aimard was already very familiar with from numerous concerts and, in particular, from the recordings of Kurtág’s ‘Játékok’ and Schubert’s ‘Ländler’.

And for the Op. 353018, too, it was a debut in its new, second life:

Concert grand pianos are generally used in conjunction with a large orchestra for no longer than 10–15 years. On the one hand, the instruments are subject to natural ageing, which is accompanied by a loss of tension in the soundboard. Full, radiant, resonant tones capable of producing great volume whilst also rising above the orchestra in quiet passages are then scarcely possible.

On the other hand, after a few years, worn parts are replaced, and unfortunately it is all too common for this to seal the fate of a once magnificent grand piano once and for all. Incorrect or improper repairs, a misunderstanding of the needs of grand pianos on the one hand and of musicians on the other, as well as an insufficient understanding of the principles of physics, most often lead to concert grand pianos being taken out of concert use prematurely. The old grand piano is taken out of service, and a new instrument must be purchased.

The Op. 353018, which set off on its journey from Hamburg to Prague on 24 September 1956 to take up residence at the Rudolfinum, presumably played its final piano concerto in the early 1970s. After that, ‘Op. 353018’ presumably embarked on the usual journey of a grand piano retired from the big stage: initially it remained in the small hall, then in the artists’ lounge, before being moved from the rehearsal room to a storeroom. Some time later, it was sold.

That ‘Op. 3535018” played not one but two concerts in the sold-out NDR Konzerthaus in February 2026 – over half a century after its last concert with an orchestra – with the NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Stanislav Kochanovsky and featuring Pierre-Laurent Aimard, captivating both musicians and audience alike, is – to paraphrase György Kurtág – a miracle!

And the fact that the second concert was also broadcast live on 27 February and can now be listened to online worldwide makes this incredible story even more wonderful!

Listen to detailed explanations from Chief Conductor Stanislav Kochanovsky and Pierre-Laurent Aimard, as well as the entire concert featuring the piano duo Op. 353018, here.