The Lilacs Recital Series · New York
Every recital,
and everything played.
Since January 2022 we have presented 35 recitals and 2 anniversary celebrations in a private New York home. This is the complete record — every artist who has played here, and every note they played.
- 35recitals
- 2special events
- 34artists
- 47composers
2026–27
Michael Davidman
Opens the 2026–27 season. Closes with the Rachmaninoff Second Sonata — an echo of the song this series takes its name from.
- Schubert — Piano Sonata in C minor, D. 958
- Chopin — Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52
- Franck — Choral No. 1 in E major
- Albéniz — “Málaga” and “Jerez” from Iberia, Book 4
- Rachmaninoff — Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36 (1931 version)
2025–26
Illia Ovcharenko
- Bortkiewicz — “Lied ohne Worte” and “Etude” from Op. 65; “Prelude” from Op. 6; Étude No. 3 “La brune”, Op. 29
- Beethoven / Liszt — Symphony No. 7, second movement
- Schumann — Études in Variation Form on a Theme by Beethoven, WoO 31
- Scarlatti — Keyboard Sonata in B minor, K. 87
- Liszt — Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178
Jack Gao
- Schubert — Piano Sonata in F-sharp minor, D. 571
- Bartók — Piano Sonata, Sz. 80 (BB 88)
- Rachmaninoff — Moments musicaux, Op. 16
Alexandra Dovgan
Eighteen years old. The largest audience in the series’ history.
- Chopin — Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60
- Chopin — Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58
- Franck — Prélude, choral et fugue
- Prokofiev — Piano Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 14
Gabriele Strata
- Chopin — Valses, Op. 70 No. 2, Op. 64 No. 3, Op. 34 No. 1
- Chopin — Polonaise-fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61
- Schubert — Piano Sonata in A major, D. 959
Albert Cano Smit
The Art of Fugue, broken open and threaded with Fauré, Liszt and Granados.
- Bach — The Art of Fugue (selections, in three groups)
- Fauré — Nocturne No. 6 in D-flat major, Op. 63; Ballade in F-sharp major, Op. 19
- Liszt — Ballade No. 2 in B minor, S. 171
- Granados — from Goyescas: “Quejas, o la maja y el ruiseñor”, “El pelele”
Simon Bürki
Included Rachmaninoff’s “Siren” — Lilacs — the song this series is named for.
- Schumann — Novellette, Op. 21 No. 8
- Granados — El fandango de candil
- Liszt — Hungarian Rhapsody No. 9 (“Carnival in Pest”)
- Rachmaninoff — Preludes, Op. 23 Nos. 4, 5, 8 and Op. 32 No. 13
- Rachmaninoff — “Zdes’ khorosho” (arr. Volodos); “Siren” (Lilacs)
- Rachmaninoff — Études-tableaux, Op. 39 Nos. 2 and 5
Mikhail Voskresensky
All Chopin, at ninety.
- Chopin — Two Polonaises, Op. 26
- Chopin — Nocturnes, Op. 15 Nos. 1–2 and Op. 27 No. 1
- Chopin — Four Mazurkas, Op. 24; Four Mazurkas, Op. 17
- Chopin — Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 47
- Chopin — Étude in C-sharp minor, Op. 25 No. 7; Three Waltzes, Op. 64
- Chopin — Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31
Kiron Atom Tellian
Weeks before his Carnegie Hall debut. Scriabin and Chopin études woven into one cycle.
- Scriabin — Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 19 (Sonata-Fantasy)
- Chopin and Scriabin — Études from Opp. 25, 42, 8 and 65, interleaved
- J. Strauss (arr. Schulz-Evler) — Arabesques on “The Beautiful Blue Danube”
2024–25
Anthony Ratinov
Chopin and Scriabin alternating, tracing one composer’s hold on the other.
- Chopin — Waltz, Op. 42 · Scriabin — Preludes, Op. 13 Nos. 1–2
- Chopin — Nocturne, Op. 62 No. 1 · Scriabin — Preludes, Op. 16 No. 1, Op. 15 No. 4
- Chopin — Polonaise, Op. 44 · Scriabin — Prelude, Op. 27 No. 2
- Chopin — Scherzo No. 3, Op. 39; Prelude, Op. 28 No. 15 · Scriabin — Prelude, Op. 31 No. 1
- Chopin — Ballade No. 3, Op. 47 · Scriabin — Prelude, Op. 51 No. 2
- Chopin — Polonaise-fantaisie, Op. 61
Ying Li
- Schumann — Arabeske in C major, Op. 18; Symphonic Études, Op. 13
- Albéniz — “Evocación” and “Triana” from Iberia
- Ravel — La valse, M. 72
Ravel’s 150th Birthday Celebration
All-Ravel, on his 150th birthday, with a Basque dinner. Henry Kramer · Nadejda Vlaeva · Claire Bourg, violin · Leland Ko, cello · Vyacheslav Gryaznov.
- Ravel — Le tombeau de Couperin (Henry Kramer)
- Ravel — Piano Trio (Nadejda Vlaeva, Claire Bourg, Leland Ko)
- Ravel — Piano Concerto for the Left Hand (Vyacheslav Gryaznov)
Henry Kramer
- Schubert — Piano Sonata in A major, D. 664
- Liszt — Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178
- Debussy — L’isle joyeuse, L. 106
Sophia Liu
Sixteen years old, a student of Dang Thai Son.
- Liszt — Sonetto 123 del Petrarca, S. 161 No. 6; Réminiscences de Norma, S. 394
- Chopin — Andante spianato et Grande polonaise brillante, Op. 22
- Chopin — Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23; Nocturne in G major, Op. 37 No. 2
- Chopin — Variations on “Là ci darem la mano”, Op. 2
Anna Fedorova
For the foundation the pianist runs in The Hague with her husband, the double bassist Nicholas Schwartz.
- Ravel — Gaspard de la nuit
- Chopin — Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 1
- Mussorgsky — Pictures at an Exhibition
Mikhail Voskresensky
- Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 25 in G major, Op. 79
- Mozart — Fantasia in C minor, K. 396
- Grieg — Piano Sonata in E minor, Op. 7
- Scriabin — Deux poèmes, Op. 32
- Chopin — Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58
2023–24
Adam Golka
All Brahms, including a Gavotte the pianist completed himself.
- Brahms — Variations on a Hungarian Song in D major, Op. 21 No. 2
- Brahms — Sarabande and Gigue in B minor, WoO 5 No. 2 / WoO 4 No. 2
- Brahms — Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9
- Brahms — Sarabande in A minor, WoO 5 No. 1; Gavotte in A minor, WoO 3 (completed by Adam Golka); Gigue in A minor, WoO 3 No. 1
- Brahms — Piano Sonata No. 1 in C major, Op. 1
Han Chen
Four works written in 2023, paired against Ligeti.
- Ligeti — Étude No. 15 “White on White” · Vivian Fung — White on Black (2023)
- Ligeti — Étude No. 2 “Cordes à vide” · Jihyun Kim — A leaf falls, the water ripples… (2023)
- Shiuan Chang — Digital Chants (2023) · Ligeti — Étude No. 10 “Der Zauberlehrling”
- Nina Young — it is within you that the ghosts acquire voices (2023) · Ligeti — Étude No. 6 “Automne à Varsovie”
- Liszt — Impromptu “Nocturne”, S. 191; three Petrarch Sonnets, S. 161; Funérailles, S. 173
Nicolas Namoradze
Booked long before he stepped in for Bronfman and Babayan within a single month.
- Bach — Contrapunctus VI from The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080
- Scriabin — Piano Sonata No. 10, Op. 70
- Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, Op. 106 (“Hammerklavier”)
Vyacheslav Gryaznov
An entire recital of orchestral music rewritten for one piano.
- Selected piano transcriptions by Liszt, Pletnev and Gryaznov
Mikhail Voskresensky
- Haydn — Piano Sonata in E minor, Hob. XVI:34
- Mozart — Rondo in A minor, K. 511
- Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 14, Op. 27 No. 2 (“Moonlight”)
- Scriabin — Prelude and Nocturne for the left hand, Op. 9
- Prokofiev — Piano Sonata No. 8 in B-flat major, Op. 84
Albert Cano Smit
Bach and Granados interleaved.
- Bach — Well-Tempered Clavier: Preludes and Fugues, BWV 846, 876, 867, 880, 885
- Granados — from Goyescas: “Los requiebros”, “Coloquio en la reja”, “El amor y la muerte”
- Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111
Anthony Ratinov
- Albéniz — Iberia, Book 4: “Málaga”
- Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90
- Scriabin — Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53
- Benzecry — Toccata Néwen
- Bach–Busoni — Chorale Preludes Nos. 4 and 5
- Schubert — “Wanderer” Fantasy in C major, D. 760
Zitong Wang
- Chopin — Mazurkas, Op. 50
- Janáček — In the Mists
- Chopin — Polonaise-fantaisie, Op. 61
- Liszt — Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178
Sergey Belyavsky
Booked after Jen heard him open Liszt en Provence.
- Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2 No. 3
- Schumann — Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26
- Rosenthal — Carnaval de Vienne
- Liszt — Valses oubliées Nos. 1 and 2; “Tarantella” from Venezia e Napoli
2022–23
Maxim Lando
The complete Transcendental Études — Schumann thought only ten or twelve pianists in the world could play them.
- Liszt — Transcendental Études, S. 139 (complete)
Rachmaninoff’s 150th Birthday Celebration
Six artists, two concerts and a dinner, on the composer’s 150th birthday. Wynona Yinuo Wang · Zitong Wang · Konstantin Soukhovetski · John-Henry Crawford, cello · Vyacheslav Gryaznov · Joseph Parrish, bass-baritone.
- Rachmaninoff — Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 28 (Wynona Yinuo Wang)
- Rachmaninoff — Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 36 (Zitong Wang)
- Rachmaninoff — Prelude in B minor, Op. 32 No. 10; Vocalise (Konstantin Soukhovetski)
- Rachmaninoff — Cello Sonata, Op. 19 (John-Henry Crawford, Wynona Yinuo Wang)
- Rachmaninoff — Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3 (Vyacheslav Gryaznov)
- Rachmaninoff — Aleko’s Cavatina and selected songs (Joseph Parrish, Vyacheslav Gryaznov)
Mikhail Voskresensky
His first Lilacs, months after leaving Russia in protest.
- Mozart — Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor, K. 310
- Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 (“Pathétique”)
- Chopin — two Polonaises from Op. 40; two Valses from Op. 69; three Études from Op. 25
- Prokofiev — Visions fugitives, Op. 22; March from The Love for Three Oranges
Chaeyoung Park
- Schumann — Arabeske in C major, Op. 18
- Unsuk Chin — Étude No. 1 “In C”; Étude No. 5 “Toccata”
- Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, Op. 106 (“Hammerklavier”)
Fei-Fei
- Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-flat major, Op. 31 No. 3
- Debussy — Suite bergamasque, L. 75
- Rachmaninoff — Moments musicaux, Op. 16
Sara Daneshpour
- Selected études by Chopin and Ligeti
2021–22
Anna Han
Days before the Lucerne Festival.
- Kurtág — Acht Klavierstücke, Op. 3
- Ravel — Gaspard de la nuit
- Berg (arr. the pianist) — three songs from Sieben frühe Lieder
- Schumann — Fantasy in C major, Op. 17
Mackenzie Melemed
Days after performing with his mentor Emanuel Ax at Tanglewood.
- Bach (arr. Rachmaninoff) — Suite from the Violin Partita No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006
- Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28
- Janáček — 1. X. 1905
- Sibelius — Finlandia, Op. 26 (arr. the composer)
Vyacheslav Gryaznov & Konstantin Soukhovetski
Two pianos in a living room.
- Rameau — Nouvelles suites de pièces de clavecin: four pieces from the Suite in A minor
- Rachmaninoff — Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor, Op. 40 (arr. two pianos by the composer)
Rachel Breen
A suite of fourteen miniatures, played without pause, linked by key.
- Bach — French Suite No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813
- A Suite of Short Pieces — Kurtág, Scriabin, Prokofiev, Beethoven, Chopin, Berio, Medtner, Rachmaninoff, Desyatnikov, Mendelssohn, Bach, Debussy, Kreisler–Rachmaninoff
- Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111
Albert Cano Smit
A program traced through the sound of Spain.
- Bach — English Suite No. 1 in A major, BWV 806
- Albéniz — Iberia, Book I: “Evocación”, “El Puerto”
- Ravel — Pavane pour une infante défunte
- Scriabin — Poème, Op. 32 No. 1; Étude, Op. 2 No. 1
- Ginastera — Danzas argentinas, Op. 2
Martin James Bartlett
BBC Young Musician of the Year, 2014.
- Bach (arr. Busoni) — Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639
- Bach (arr. Hess) — Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
- Rameau — Suite in A minor, RCT 5: Gavotte et six doubles
- Haydn — Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major, Hob. XVI:46
- Liszt–Wagner — “Liebestod” from Tristan und Isolde
- Julian Anderson — She Hears
- Rachmaninoff (arr. Wild) — “Where Beauty Dwells”, Op. 21 No. 7
- Rachmaninoff (arr. Wild) — “Vocalise”, Op. 34 No. 14
- Rachmaninoff — Polka de W.R.
- Ravel — La valse
Vyacheslav Gryaznov
The first Lilacs. All transcriptions and arrangements.
- Mozart — 9 Variations on “Lison dormait”, K. 264/315d
- Mahler — Adagietto from Symphony No. 5 (arr. left hand, Gryaznov)
- Liszt — Rhapsodie espagnole, S. 254
- Monteverdi — Si dolce è’l tormento (arr. Gryaznov)
- Bach — Organ Fantasia in G major, BWV 572 (arr. Gryaznov)
- Debussy — Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (arr. Gryaznov)
- Ravel — La valse (arr. Gryaznov)
Not played
Rachel Breen
Cancelled — the pianist had Covid and could not travel. Programme would have been Medtner’s Op. 22 and the complete Goldberg Variations.
The Lilacs by the numbers
Most programmed
Liszt, Beethoven and Chopin lead the series, each on 12 of 37 programmes.
Played more than once
Of about 150 works programmed, only twelve have come back.
- 3× Ravel — La valse
- 3× Liszt — Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178
- 3× Chopin — Polonaise-fantaisie, Op. 61
- 2× Albéniz — “Evocación” from Iberia
- 2× Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111
- 2× Ravel — Gaspard de la nuit
- Seasons
- 5, from January 2022
- Artists
- 34, of whom 4 have returned
- Composers
- 47
- Repeated works
- 12, of about 150