Jan Lisiecki plays at the RAH to celebrate the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra turning 80

22/09/2026
Events

31-year-old Jan Lisiecki is a Canadian-born classical pianist of Polish ancestry. He was born in Calgary, Canada, and studied in Toronto. Jan has Polish parents, performs all over the world, holds a Polish passport, speaks Polish language fluently, and always emphasizes that he feels Polish.

He has worked closely with the world’s leading orchestras and conductors in a career spanning over a decade at the top of the international concert scene. As part of the Canada Day celebrations in 2010, Lisiecki performed for Queen Elizabeth II and an audience of 100,000 people on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Two years year, Jan performed at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall in London. Together with the BBC orchestra, he played Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto with such perfection and engagement that the audience demanded encores! And, as one might expect, he played Chopin…

Last year, he performed at the Wigmore Hall with the breathtaking Chopin’s all-prelude programme, featuring also Bach, Rachmaninow, Górecki and Szymanowski. The Hall was full (the concert was sold out well in advance) and the audience gave Jan a true standing ovation.

We had the pleasure of interviewing him then (in Polish). You can read the interview here.

Last year he performed at the Royal Festival Hall and in the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne.

Jan Lisiecki has been described by BBC Music Magazine as ‘perhaps the most complete pianist of his age’. He has been especially admired for his interpretations of Chopin, whose music forms the centre of this varied programme exploring the genre of the prelude.

This time Jan Lisiecki will perform with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.

A big anniversary calls for an even bigger celebration and, as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra turns 80, that’s exactly what we’re hosting tonight – live from the spectacular surroundings of the Royal Albert Hall, where the RPO is proud to be Associate Orchestra.

We’re looking to the future, with a thrilling new fanfare from the Master of the King’s Music, Errollyn Wallen CBE. We’re inviting friends, as the world-beating team of Julia Fischer, Pablo Ferrández and Jan Lisiecki come together for Beethoven’s joyous Triple Concerto.

But, above all, we’re making music on the grandest possible scale, as Vasily Petrenko conducts Richard Strauss’ big-hearted story of love, art and the sheer glory of a great orchestra raising the roof. Consider this your official party invitation – join us!