After winning the Richter competition in Russia, the Van Cliburn in Texas, the Queen Elisabeth in Brussels and the Chopin in Warsaw (with a rather spectacular scandal on top of everything, related it would seem to a change of rules during the competition, which led him to refuse the prize), the Bulgarian pianist Evgeni Bozhanov (born in 1984) has now carved for himself a choice position in the piano section of the Concert des Nations with his somewhat extravagant appearance, his theatrical gestures and—yes—his extreme musicality. Here he is in the most falsely easy music that is, one of Mozart’s great concertos, and Shostakovitch's First—written for strings, solo trumpet and piano—from 1933, an early work then, but already incredibly accomplished and 100% Shostakovitch. Far from the sleight of hand that some reproach him to display on stage, Bozhanov is here completely modest, and lets the music flow between his fingers naturally and without any affectation. The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra is led by the violin by its first violin soloist and musical director, the great Radoslaw Szulc. © SM/Qobuz