To Liszt — Light and Redemption
Yingdi Sun × Arpaslan × Guiyang Symphony Orchestra
A Liszt Tribute Concert
Overview
He walked in bathed in sunlight, lighting a lamp of love with the utmost gentleness — dedicated to Liszt.
Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major, S.125 stands as one of the most poetic and spiritually charged works in the Romantic piano repertoire — a piece that transcends mere virtuosity to become an ode to love and redemption.
Composed initially in 1839 and revised over more than two decades until 1863, this concerto reveals Liszt’s ideal of music as moral beauty — merging passion with faith, tenderness with transcendence. The entire work unfolds as a single continuous movement, unified by one theme that undergoes a series of imaginative transformations — from dreamlike lyricism to heroic splendor and ultimately to an ecstatic finale of dazzling brilliance.
On September 22, 2023, pianist Yingdi Sun, Gold Medalist of the 7th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition, joined conductor Arpaslan Ertüngealp and the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra to present this radiant masterpiece, alongside Liszt’s Symphonic Poem “Les Préludes” and Faust Symphony — a celebration of the composer’s genius as both pianist and visionary.
Program
This concerto, both introspective and resplendent, embodies that very sunlight — not of vanity, but of spiritual compassion and human redemption.
Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
Symphonic Poem “Les Préludes”
Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major, S.125
Faust Symphony
Date & Venue
September 22, 2023 · 20:00 ·
Guiyang Grand Theatre · Concert Hall
Conductor: Arpaslan Ertüngealp
Piano: Yingdi Sun
Arthur Rubinstein once remarked:
“Chopin leads us into dreams from which we never wish to wake, but Liszt blinds us with the brilliance of the sun.”
This concerto, both introspective and resplendent, embodies that very sunlight — not of vanity, but of spiritual compassion and human redemption.
About the Works
Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major represents his lifelong quest to fuse poetry and structure. Its theme — a melody of serene beauty — undergoes constant metamorphosis, accompanied by orchestral colors of remarkable sensitivity.
The middle section features a soulful cello soliloquy and delicate piano arpeggios, while the final Allegro brings the concerto to an electrifying conclusion — radiant, triumphant, and full of divine light.
Epilogue
Liszt’s music blazes with faith in human light — a light that both blinds and heals.
In this concert, Yingdi Sun’s artistry rekindles that radiance:
not merely virtuosity, but love transformed into sound.
Artists
Yingdi Sun | Piano
Gold Medalist of the 7th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition (Utrecht, 2005), Yingdi Sun is acclaimed by European media as “the purest essence of Liszt.” His performances are celebrated for their structural clarity, emotional intensity, and deep poetic resonance. Sun has appeared with leading orchestras including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic, and China Philharmonic, and is widely regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of Liszt’s piano works.
Arpaslan Ertüngealp | Conductor
Born in Istanbul, Arpaslan Ertüngealp studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and is a leading representative of the Hungarian school of conducting.
He is the founder and artistic director of the Solti International Conducting Masterclass, organized annually by the Solti Symphony Orchestra in Hungary. A laureate of multiple international competitions — including the Mitropoulos International Conducting Competition (Athens, 2002) — Ertüngealp has collaborated with the Berlin Komische Oper, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, and many others.
As assistant to Claudio Abbado, he worked closely with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, and La Scala, performing alongside Martha Argerich, Radu Lupu, and Maria João Pires.
Renowned for his insight into Central European repertoire, Ertüngealp combines the intellectual rigor of the Hungarian tradition with passionate expressivity.
Guiyang Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 2009, the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra is China’s first professional orchestra established through private endowment under government partnership. Comprising over seventy musicians from ten countries, the orchestra has become a vibrant cultural symbol of Guizhou Province, celebrated for its ambitious programming and artistic excellence under the direction of Maestro Guoyong Zhang.