Andras Schiff, piano October 16, 2010

Andras Schiff, the virtuoso known for his poetic and nuanced playing, comes to the Herbst Theater with Schumann and Mendelssohn on Oct. 16. This concert is his first here since he played the complete Beethoven sonata cycle in a San Francisco Performances and SF Symphony co-presentation (2007-2009).

Schiff tackles the big piano repertoire and masters it: He took the Beethoven cycle on a tour to 20 cities across the United States and Europe, and continues winning acclaim for his interpretations of J.S. Bach, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann and, of course, Hungary's Bartok.

Schiff is Hungarian, born in Budapest and studying at the Ferenc Liszt Academy before moving to London to work with George Malcolm. His career spans vast solo and chamber work (including the launching of his own chamber orchestra, the Cappella Andrea Barca) as well as lectures, curating, Grammy Award-winning recordings and residencies, including one with the Berlin Philharmonic. SF Performances introduced him to the Bay Area in 1985, when he presented a recital of Bach's Goldberg Variations.

The Oct. 16 recital includes two Mendelssohn pieces-the chorale-like Variations serieuses, which mingles counterpoint with Romantic composition, and the dizzying Fantasie in F-Sharp minor. Schumann's beautiful Sonata in F-Sharp minor and Fantasie in C Major complete the program.

Official Website: http://sfperformances.org/performances/1011/AndrasSchiff.html