John Adams’ new piano concert ‘After the Fall’ with Víkingur ólafsson as a soloist

“A Dream Has Come True,” says the virtuoso, as virtuoso as unusual open -minded pianist Víkingur ólafsson at the end of the performance of John Adams’ new piano concert “after the fall” (after the fall, or: after autumn). He was old for thirteen years, the Icelandic pianist told the audience in the Zurich Tonhalle when he met his music. Now, just 25 years later, the American composer has dedicated his own piano concert to him. The premiere took place in San Francisco in mid-January, followed in Zurich with the European premiere with the Tonhalle Orchestra and its chief conductor Paavo Järvi. Over the next few months, ólafsson will play the concert in many European and American cities that have commissioned nine large institutions together.