Pianists Louis Lortie & Illia Ovcharenko

Program Information

Our 2026/27 Musician-in-Residence Illia Ovcharenko begins his three-concert residency alongside celebrated Canadian pianist Louis Lortie with Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 9, performed in Franz Liszt’s extraordinary arrangement for two pianos. Liszt created the two-piano version in 1851, translating Beethoven’s full orchestral score, including the famous “Ode to Joy” finale, to the combined resources of two pianists. At a time before recordings, arrangements such as this helped bring major orchestral works to audiences beyond the concert hall, and Liszt played an important role in establishing Beethoven’s symphonies at the heart of the concert repertoire.

The concert marks Lortie’s first Halifax appearance in more than forty years. Long admired for the insight and individuality he brings to the piano repertoire, Lortie has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras and in major halls across the globe. Ovcharenko has quickly built an international career with appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw, Wigmore Hall, and many other leading stages.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
(arr. for two pianos by Franz Liszt)

I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
II. Molto vivace
III. Adagio molto e cantabile
IV. Finale: Presto

Artist Biographies

Louis Lortie, piano

Louis Lortie has earned an international reputation as a versatile musician critically acclaimed for the fresh perspective and individuality he brings to the grand masters of the piano repertoire. In demand on five continents for more than thirty years, Louis Lortie performs with the most prestigious orchestras and in major concert halls around the world. A prolific artist, he has produced more than 45 recordings for Chandos Records featuring the pillars of piano literature. He is followed by more than 300,000 listeners monthly on streaming platforms and generated more than 6 million streams in 2022.

In Great Britain, his long-standing relationship with the BBC, the BBC Symphony and BBC Philharmonic orchestras have resulted in numerous recordings and concerts as well than more than ten invitations at the BBC Proms. In his native Canada, for half a century, he has regularly played with all the major orchestras: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Calgary. Close collaborator of Kurt Masur, he was a regular soloist with the Orchestre National de France and the Gewandhaus orchestra during his tenure as Music Director. He has also collaborated with the Deutsche Sinfonieorchester Berlin, the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, the Leipzig MDR Orchestra in Germany and the United States, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony , San Diego Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, and New Jersey Symphony. Further afield, his collaborations include the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra where he was Artist in Residence, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, as well as the Adelaide and Sydney Symphony Orchestras and the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo in Brazil. Regular partnerships with chefs include, among others, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Edward Gardner, Sir Andrew Davis, Jaap Van Zweden, Simone Young, Antoni Wit and Thierry Fischer.

In recital and in chamber music, Louis Lortie regularly performs at Wigmore Hall in London, the Philharmonie de Paris, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Symphony Hall, the Beethovenfest Bonn and the Liszt Festival Raiding. He is particularly sought after for his integral of the Years of Pilgrimage of Liszt in one evening, the Etudes of Chopins (complete) in one evening, or his cycles of Beethoven sonatas; the latest one was filmed at the Salle Bourgie in Montreal and broadcast on Medici TV in 2021. For more than twenty years, with Hélène Mercier, the Lortie-Mercier duo has brought new perspectives on the repertoire for four hands and two pianos in concert as well as their numerous recordings.

His discography, exclusively for Chandos records, includes, in the solo piano repertoire, 7 volumes of works by Chopin, Beethoven’s 32 sonatas, the complete works of Ravel, Liszt’s Years of Pilgrimage and two volumes of works by Faure. With Edward Gardner he recorded Lutoslawksi’s Concerto and Variations on a Theme of Paganini with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, particularly praised by critics, as well as the complete concertos of Saint-Saens with the Orchester Philharmonique de la BBC or the Vaughan Williams concerto with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Peter Oundjian.

Louis Lortie is co-founder and Artistic Director of the LacMus Festival, which has been held yearly since 2017 on Lake Como. He was master in residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Brussels from 2017 to 2022; he continues to mentor pianists of exceptional talent by introducing the new generation through concert cycles, recently a cycle of Beethoven/Liszt symphonies at Wigmore Hall and the Dresden International Festival as well as the Scriabin Marathon at the LacMus and Bolzano Bozen Festivals .

Louis Lortie made his debut with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at the age of thirteen, and in 1984  won the first prize of the Busoni competition and the fourth prize of the Leeds Competition. He studied with Yvonne Hubert (herself a student of the legendary Alfred Cortot ) and with Dieter Weber in Vienna, and then with Leon Fleisher. He was honoured with the title of “Officer of the Order of Canada” in 1992, and “Chevalier Ordre national du Québec” in 1997, and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Laval the same year.

Illia Ovcharenko, piano

When he was 6-years-old and living in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Illia Ovcharenko’s mother took him to hear a performance of Tchaikovsky’s first piano concerto. After the concert, Illia told his mother he wanted to be a pianist when he grew up.

Today, Illia Ovcharenko is one of the world’s most celebrated young pianists. Most recently, he won the Honens International Piano Competition in Calgary, Canada—a competition that seeks to identify the “Complete Artist”—someone who demonstrates technical mastery, perseverance against adversity, and an understanding of musical text that is both intellectual and emotional. Besides winning at the Honens International Piano Competition, one of the world’s most prestigious events of its kind, Ovcharenko has received prizes at more than 20 competitions throughout the world. These include, in the last four years, top prizes at the Kissinger Sommer “Klavierolymp” in Bad Kissingen, Busoni International Piano Competition in Bolzano, New York International Piano Competition, Hilton Head International Piano Competition, “Prix du Piano” Bern, as well as obtaining the “Michelangeli Prize” of the Eppan Piano Academy.

There wasn’t a lot of music in Illia’s household when he was growing up. Mom is a computer engineer, and Dad is an athlete and coach. But, there was an old upright piano in the corner of the living room, and Illia started plunking away as soon as he could reach the keys. He took singing lessons at 6-years-old, began formal piano studies at 9, and gave his first concert at 12 on the stage of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine.

His parents weren’t sure music was a terrific career path, but they encouraged his success. At 13, Illia went to study in Kyiv at a special high school for gifted musicians and later moved to Tel Aviv. He’s currently living in Hannover, Germany, where he’s finishing a master’s program with his longtime mentor, Arie Vardi. At the same time, Illia is a long time recipient at the International Musikakademie Liechtenstein.

For Illia, the piano is a real friend, sometimes filling him with joy, sometimes serving as a painkiller. The piano reveals who he is, to himself and to an audience. He thrives on live performance, feeling as if two souls—his and the composer’s—are united together on stage. He’s most at home playing romantic repertoire. Off the stage, Illia loves athletics (Roger Federer is an idol) and practices origami. In the future, Illia hopes to combine teaching with an international touring career.

He has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Deutsche-Symphonie Orchester Berlin, Israel Philharmonic, Edmonton Symphony, San Antonio Philharmonic, Orchestre National d’Île de France, the Orchestra of La Monnaie, the Toronto Symphony, Sinfonieorchester Liechtenstein, I Pomerrigi Musicali, Calgary Philharmonic, in recital at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Konzerthaus Berlin, Wigmore Hall in London, Salle Bourgie in Montreal, Koerner Hall in Toronto and Salle Cortot in Paris.

Highlights of Ovcharenko’s 2025-26 season include performances at Wigmore Hall in London; Philharmonie de Paris, Klavierfestival “Le Piano Symphonique,” in Lucerne, Switzerland; National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, Poland; Concertgebouw Amsterdam; Konzerthaus Berlin; Nova Scotia Symphony; and Bravo! Vail Music Festival. He will also perform on tour with the Orchestre National d’Île-de-France and the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. The season will also see the release of the debut concerto recording on Pentatone label. His latest recital album, Whispers & Thunder, was released on the Steinway label and was named as ‘’One of the Best Classical Albums of 2025’’ by Gramophone Magazine and acclaimed by International Piano as “splendidly executed and smartly programmed” with Ovcharenko’s playing being described as “iron hands cloaked in mink gloves”. His previous solo album Litany, was released on Discauvers; Classique c’est cool praised Ovcharenko’s “very intelligently constructed program,” and the pianist’s “perfectly mastered technique.” The album also received high praise in Diapason and Pianiste magazines.

“I’m so happy when people hear me play and say I brought something new to their life or let them forget about their current troubles,” he says. “Playing the piano is usually a much better way of communicating since there is something intimate involved in this process.”

Frequently Asked Questions

How will I receive my tickets?
Electronic tickets are emailed immediately after purchase to the email address used at checkout. Please keep your tickets handy on your smart phone or bring a printed copy with you to the concert so we can scan them at the door. If you do not receive your tickets, please check your spam or junk folder, as ticket emails are sometimes blocked or filtered by email providers. You may also wish to search your inbox for “Cecilia Concerts” or your order confirmation. If you still cannot find your tickets, please contact the Cecilia Concerts office before the concert and we’ll be happy to help. Rest assured, if you purchased tickets, your name will also be on our guest list at the door.

What time should I arrive?
Doors open at 7:00pm, and the concert begins at 7:30pm. We recommend arriving a little early so you have time to have your ticket scanned, find a seat, and get settled before the performance begins.

Can I arrive late?
Latecomers will be seated at an appropriate break in the performance, when possible. To avoid disruption to the artists and audience, we recommend arriving before the concert begins.

How long is the concert?
The approximate running time is 1 hour and 35 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.

What is the seating like?
Tickets are general admission. The Stage at St. Andrew’s has unassigned seating, with chairs on the main floor and pews in the balcony. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Bravo Premium subscription holders have reserved access to seating within the first five rows. Please note that the balcony is accessible by stairs only. Wheelchair-accessible seating and companion seating are available on the main floor. If you have an accessibility-related seating need, please let us know when you arrive.

Are children welcome?
Yes, children are always welcome. Please keep in mind that this is a full-length concert in a traditional concert setting. Families may wish to choose seats close to a door in case a quick exit is needed during the performance.

What should I know about concert etiquette?
If you are new to classical concerts, you are very welcome. We simply ask that audience members help create a quiet and respectful environment for the artists and those around them. Please silence your phone before the concert begins, avoid talking during the performance, and wait for pauses between pieces to move around when possible.

When should I clap?
It is always fine to clap when a full piece has ended. Some longer works have several movements, with short pauses in between, and audiences usually wait until the entire work is finished before applauding. If you are unsure, it is perfectly okay to wait and follow the rest of the audience.

Can I use my phone during the concert?
Please silence your phone before the concert begins. We ask that phones and bright screens not be used during the performance, as they can be distracting to artists and audience members.

Can I take photos or videos?
Photos are welcome before or after the concert. Unless otherwise announced, photography, audio recording, and video recording are not permitted during the performance.

What accessibility features are available?
The Stage at St. Andrews is wheelchair accessible and includes accessible washrooms with ramp access. Companion seating is available if required. If you have a specific accessibility question before attending, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Is the venue scent-sensitive?
To help make the concert comfortable for everyone, we ask guests to avoid wearing strong scents or fragrances.

Is there parking or public transit nearby?
The Stage at St. Andrews is located on the corner of Robie Street and Coburg Road. There is no parkade at the venue, but street parking is available in the surrounding area. The venue is also located near major South End Halifax Transit routes.

What happens if there is a storm?
If a storm may affect a performance, ticket holders are encouraged to call the Cecilia Concerts office at 902-423-0143 for a recorded concert update. Updates will also be posted on the Cecilia Concerts website and social media channels.

What happens if a concert is changed, postponed, or cancelled?
Concert schedule changes are very rare, but storms or other unexpected circumstances may occasionally require us to make adjustments. If a concert is changed, postponed, or cancelled, ticket holders will be contacted as soon as possible with available options. Depending on the circumstances, you may choose to attend the rescheduled concert, receive a credit toward a future Cecilia Concerts performance, request a refund, or convert the value of your ticket into a charitable donation tax receipt.