Mahan Esfahani, the harpsichordist, was born in Tehran in 1984 and raised in the United States, discovering the harpsichord through cassettes of Karl Richter playing Bach.
Compositional Technique
The Harpsichord Concerto uses carefully prepared and controlled electronic amplification to balance the harpsichord with the modern symphony orchestra, creating new sonorous alliances.
Composition History
Poul Ruders' Harpsichord Concerto was commissioned by the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, featuring harpsichord virtuoso Mahan Esfahani.
Performer Biography
Mahan Esfahani became the first harpsichordist named a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist (2008-2010) and has been nominated for Gramophone's Artist of the Year three times.
Recording & Production
This recording of Poul Ruders' Harpsichord Concerto is a world premiere recording, captured live on September 10, 2020, in Symphonic Hall, Aarhus, Denmark.
Performer Biography
Leif Segerstam, the conductor, is Chief Conductor Emeritus of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and has composed 335 symphonies.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Poul Ruders, the composer, aimed to create a 'perfect symbiosis between 'yesterday' and 'today'' in his Harpsichord Concerto, avoiding hackneyed neo-classicism.
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