Secrets of the Salon: Four Hands Extravaganza

Programme will include:

Wolfgang Rihm: Several short waltzes

Tchaikovsky - Rachmaninoff: Selection from Sleeping Beauty, op. 66

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Selection from the Six Pieces op. 11

Johannes Brahms: 16 Waltzes op. 39

This concert shines a light on the fascinating journey of the Viennese waltz - tracing its development through time and across borders.

The evening focuses on the joy and vibrant energy of four-handed piano playing, while bringing to life the far-reaching influence of the Viennese waltz across time and geography. Taking inspiration from Johann Strauss II, the programme showcases how his legacy resonated with some of the most significant composers in Vienna, St. Petersburg, Germany and elsewhere.

Join us for an evening celebrating the charm and evolution of the waltz. Enjoy a rich and varied selection of waltzes for piano four hands by composers such as Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Rihm, P.I. Tchaikovsky and more.

Marialena Fernandes, born in Mumbai, has been one of the musical constants of Viennese musical life for decades. She studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts and became a professor of chamber music in this globally top ranked institution. In addition to her worldwide concert activities, she has made a name for herself as a curator and presenter of innovative concert series such as the "Uno, Due, Tre" cycle at the Vienna Musikverein. Doctorate in 2013 with a dissertation on "The Konkani songbook". Marialena Fernandes is a "Bösendorfer artist".

Ranko Marković, born in Zagreb, combines the identities of pedagogue, performer, manager and scientist. Piano studies in Salzburg and Moscow, professorship in Linz, long-time director of the Vienna Conservatory Private University, most recently on the management team of the Zurich University of the Arts. Board member of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and jury member of the Fundación BBVA Madrid. 2025 Dissertation on the subject of "Schönberg in many guises".

Fernandes and Marković have been performing regularly as a piano duo since 2003, focussing on arrangements for piano four hands. Their published recordings include the 6th Symphony by Gustav Mahler in the arrangement by Alexander von Zemlinsky and the 3rd Symphony by Anton Bruckner in the transcription by Gustav Mahler. Concerts, lectures and workshops in Vienna, Madrid, London, Zurich, New York and Montreal, among others.