MALAYSIAN Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) youth brand ambassador Tengku Irfan (full name: Tengku Ahmad Irfan Tengku Ahmad Shahrizal) returns to perform with the MPO at the Irfan Plays Ravel concerts On Aug 17 at 8.30pm and Aug 18 at 3pm at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP), KLCC.
This piano virtuoso will perform a programme which features composers Robert Schumann from the early 19th century and Maurice Ravel from the early 20th century, with the MPO led by Munich-born maestro Jun Markl.
The concerts will open with Schumann’s Four Pieces from Carnaval, a piano solo repertory and close with Schumann’s Symphony No.2 in C, a work filled with motoric power, sublime beauty and visceral excitement.
The closing piece, written between 1845 and 1846, reflects the composer’s state of mind, directly connected to the mental tragedy that ended his career much later.
Another highlight will be Tengku Irfan’s performance of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, one of the best-known 20th century piano concertos.
Its premiere, held in Paris in 1932, was followed by a 20-city tour in Europe.
Tengku Irfan, who made his debut with the MPO at DFP in 2009 when he was just 11, has gone on to perform with the MPO in numerous concerts including tours to Sabah and Sarawak, Vietnam, Japan, and last month’s north tour to Perak, Kedah and Penang.
Tengku Irfan has also performed with the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in 2015 and made his conducting debut at DFP with this young orchestra in December 2017 before touring to Singapore together that same month.
Described by The New York Times as ‘eminently cultured’, this pianist, composer and conductor has been making Malaysia proud by becoming a prize winner at the Aspen Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.2 Competition.
He has also collaborated with renowned orchestras such as the Singapore Symphony, São Paulo State Youth Orchestra and Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra as well as luminaries such as Neeme Järvi, Nikolai Alexeev, Evan Rogister, Claudio Cruz and Darrell Ang.
For details, visit the MPO website.
