Europe Fall and Attending Concerts

I didn't attend classical music concerts until I was in college, even though I had played classical piano since the age of 4. Classical music isn't exactly advertised well to younger generations, but quite frankly, concerts are expensive. Attending concerts wasn't part of my life growing up, but when I entered music school, we were required to attend concerts every week. This opened my mind to a world outside of classical piano repertoire, and I can't state enough the importance of experiencing music live in any way you can. Classical music concerts are my happy place, and I'm still learning more and more every time I go.

This fall I was in Europe and had the chance to go to two iconic music halls- one very old and one very new. I went to La Scala in Milan, Italy which opened in 1778 and attended a performance of The Marriage of Figaro. A month later, I attended a concert at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany which opened in 2017 and is known for it's acoustics. I saw pianist Daniil Trifonov perform his trademark (and my favorite) interpretation of Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. I also visited the Steinway Hamburg Factory to see where these most beautiful pianos are made.