Honderd jaar pianogeschiedenis: van de vroegste bespeelbare piano in onze collectie (Zumpe, 1769) tot één van de laatste tafelpiano’s (Steinway, 1869). De Duitse expert op het terrein van vroege piano’s, befaamd (forte)pianist en componist, Ratko Delorko speelt J.C. Bach, Haydn, Cimarosa, Dussek, Mozart, Chopin, Schubert, Field, Schumann, Debussy, Rubinstein e.a. op een viertal instrumenten uit hun tijd. Geniet van deze pianomuziek en ontdek spelenderwijs hoe de klankkleur van de piano zich ontwikkelde van een harp-achtige twinkel in de 18e eeuw naar een warm-romantisch geluid in de loop van de 19e eeuw.

Ratko Delorko over zijn loopbaan en het programma The History of the Piano:

‘I, Ratko Delorko, discovered the piano as my favourite toy at the tender age of three. It took me another three years to discover the piano as a creative tool for writing my youthful compositions.

My professional background—my formative years—were shaped by studying piano, composition and conducting in Cologne, Düsseldorf and Munich.

I have had the privilege of performing in such varied venues as the Berlin Philharmonie, the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf, the Cologne Philharmonie, the Gasteig in Munich, the Philharmonie in Essen, Hamburg’s Musikhalle, the Glocke in Bremen, London’s St. Martin in the Fields, Paleau de la Musica in Valencia, Beijing’s Concert Hall, Shanghai’s Oriental Arts Center and others.

In my beloved program, entitled “The History of the Piano,” I play compositions on 22 authentic instruments from different periods and narrate the development of the piano from its inception until the present day. To a lesser degree my musical inclinations also include performing jazz and rock music.

Music for solo piano, piano duet, chamber music, electronic music, opera and ballet are fields in which my primary efforts are concentrated as a composer.

Currently, I lecture at the Frankfurt University of Music. In the past, I have conducted master classes and served as guest professor in Malaysia, Russia, Italy, Croatia, the US, Vietnam and China, and I continue to do so to the present day.’