Stefano Bollani on Concerto Azzurro, improvisation, and orchestral collaboration

Stefano Bollani discusses his new piano concerto Concerto Azzurro, commissioned by conductor Kristjan Järvi. The piece, arranged by Paolo Silvestri (who co-wrote Bollani's Concertone 16 years ago), is structured in three movements and conceived as a stream of consciousness. Bollani contrasts the freedom of solo improvisation with the preordained structure of orchestral work, noting that he builds in moments for spontaneous escape within the score. He praises Järvi's eclectic, open approach—citing his Absolute Ensemble's Bach rearrangements—as ideal for a work that draws on big band, rock, and South American sonorities. Bollani also reflects on the title's inspiration: azzurro (light blue) represents the fifth chakra, associated with throat, expression, communication, and creativity. The concerto premiered at Florence's Opera and will be performed in Rome on July 5 with the Orchestra di Santa Cecilia and in Leipzig on October 7 with the MDR Symphony Orchestra. In a broader conversation, Bollani cites James Hillman's The Soul's Code as recent inspiration, and admits that performing allows him to meditate and communicate simultaneously, a realization he came to only after years of touring.