How do you feel about your relationship with Queensland Symphony Orchestra?

I’m so thrilled to be returning to Brisbane. After so many years of collaborating with them, the QSO is like my Australian family and I’m not only looking forward to playing with them again, but also to catching up with their life stories. 

Sergio Tiempo

Sergio Tiempo. Photo supplied.

You will be playing Grieg’s Piano Concerto. Why do you think it is so popular?

Aside from being so perfectly and cleverly concise in its writing, so expressive and romantic in its harmonic vocabulary, I think that there is something extremely disarming about its unassuming musical psychology. Because it does not try to be anything more than what it is, the music speaks to us without filters and with much love.

You are also performing a recital in Brisbane. How do you feel about recitals?

Recitals are always scary for me. There is so much material to journey across and no one but oneself to do it with! I imagine this is one of the reasons why Martha Argerich stopped doing them such a long time ago. At the same time,...