The Avocado Jungle is thrilled to share with you a very fine performance of a fun Mozart piano concerto. The pianist is Derek Polischuk. I had the pleasure of an interview with Derek—an old friend of mine and one of the nicest people I’ve ever known. The interview is in two parts. The first part covers Derek’s personal and musical background and then talks about this piece, the Piano Concerto in D Minor. Here is that first part of the interview.

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Derek Polischuk performs Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D Minor, 1st movement.

Derek Polischuk performs Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D Minor, 2nd movement

Derek Polischuk performs Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D Minor, 3rd movement

Derek Polischuk, pianist
Michigan State University Symphony Orchestra
Mozart Piano Concerto in D Minor, K. 466 (3 movements)
recorded in October of 2009 at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts in East Lansing, Michigan.

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I think you can enjoy a piece like this pretty easily, classical music fan or not. Derek plays with his typical precision, energy, and tastefulness. If you’re not a big classical music listener, check out the interview first for a few tips on where to point your ears. In summary, a concerto is like a conversation between the piano and the entire orchestra. Mozart writes beautiful, memorable melodies, and you’ll hear these passed around between the piano and the various other instruments. That in itself is a fun place to start listening.

I will soon post the second half of my interview with Derek, along with his performance of a piano concerto by Shostakovich. Stay tuned.