21. Gdańska Jesień Pianistyczna – Tianyao Lyu

Tianyao Lyu gained prominence at the age of 16 during the 19th International Chopin Piano Competition, where she progressed through all stages and won fourth place, as well as an award for the best concert. Her performances were widely praised for their maturity, individuality, and emotional depth, which solidified her position as one of the most remarkable young artists in the competition. Today, Tianyao Lyu is known for her vibrant musical imagination and compelling stage presence. She is currently studying with Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń at the Poznań Academy of Music, after previously studying with Hua Chang at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Some of her upcoming and recent performances include: being invited by Gideon Kremer to perform during his 80th birthday celebrations with the Baltic Chamber Orchestra at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris in May 2026, her first tour of Japan, including a debut recital at Suntory Hall, and performances with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, during which she performed both of Chopin's piano concertos in a single evening, as well as performances with the NOSPR under the baton of Christian Arming at the Chopin and His Europe festival in Warsaw. Key events for the 2026/2027 season include performances with the Warsaw National Philharmonic under the baton of Krzysztof Urbański, performances with the Hallé Orchestra under the baton of Kahchun Wong in Manchester, and an invitation to perform at the inaugural Le Piano Symphonique 2027 concert at the KKL Luzern with the Luzern Symphony Orchestra alongside Martha Argerich. The season also includes important debuts in Vancouver and Munich. Kakhi Solomonishvili is the principal conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre. He was born in 1990 in Tbilisi, Georgia. He began his musical journey as a pianist, actively participating in concerts and festivals. In 2007, he passed the entrance exams for the State Conservatory of Music in Tbilisi, which he completed in 2013, earning a master's degree. In 2011, he took on the position of assistant conductor at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre. Since 2014, he has been the conductor of the same theatre. Since 2016, he has been actively collaborating with the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra, and since 2017, he has been its conductor. In 2017, he received the Tsinandali Award in the field of music. Since 2022, he has been assisting Maestro Charles Dutoit and actively collaborating with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic and Teatro Colón. He has collaborated with many domestic and foreign orchestras, including the Fryderyk Chopin Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra in Gdańsk, Israel Sinfonietta, and Georgian Sinfonietta. His upcoming engagements include performances at Teatro Colón, the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Buenos Aires Philharmonic, and the Martha Argerich Festival in Buenos Aires.