Friedrich Gulda and Glenn Gould were two towering pianists of the 20th Century, not only as pianistic and musical phenomena but also because of their unique personalities. Both were notorious for their eccentricities, which were secondary effects of very powerful forces that guided their lives. Their original compositions for piano reflect their specific innermost urges and interests: for Gulda, Jazz was the inspiration for his cycle ‘Play Piano play’; for Gould, the great masters of polyphony and the Second Viennese School: fascinating creations from two great minds.
Sasha Grynyuk, born in Ukraine, studied at the Guildhall School for Music, and won its prestigious Gold Medal. Subsequently he was named ‘Rising Star’ of the BBC Music Magazine, and he received the Guildhall’s Wigmore Prize. Charles Rosen said of him: “an impressive artist with a remarkable and unfailing musicality, always moving with the most natural, electrifying and satisfying interpretations”.
