Spirio Spotlight in September 2023

A Young Mozart Specialist, A Spirio Rock Shuffle, George Gershwin’s Birthday, and Music that brings Focus

This month we present the SPIRIO debut of Su Yeon Kim, a Korean pianist based in Salzburg who has just released a new album on the STEINWAY label featuring music of the most famous composer from her adopted country. The album already has been highly praised by Gramophone magazine and we are thrilled to bring exclusive performances to SPIRIO listeners by this exceptional young artist, including a SPIRIOSYNC Video.

And this month we continue to bring the world of pop music into the solo piano format in a new set called SPIRIO Rock Shuffle. Leaning towards tunes from the 1980s, the set also features some tracks suitable for sing-along, including music from the Police, Metallica, the Rolling Stones and others.

It’s the birthday month for one of the giants of American Music, George Gershwin. Probably his most famous opus, Rhapsody in Blue, was composed for piano and orchestra, but exists in various arrangements for solo piano and we are fortunate to have these versions to hear on SPIRIO. Gershwin, of course, was famous for his skills as a songwriter, often collaborating with his brother Ira. A selection of these songs and more are featured in a playlist this month.

And finally, as vacations wind down and the academic year settles in, we focus on focus (from a musical perspective). Our Focus with Baroque playlist draws from the 18th century, with contrapuntal writing and subdued movements by Bach, Scarlatti and Soler.