Sudbin, lauded by London's The Daily Telegraph as "potentially one of the greatest pianists of the 21st century," makes his Orchestra Hall debut on the three programs, which also include a fantasia by John Corigliano based on a theme from Beethoven's Seventh Symphony.

The performances are held at Orchestra Hall on Thursday, November 1, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, November 2, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, November 3, at 8 p.m., with ticket prices ranging from $25 to $83.

The Soloist: Yevgeny Sudbin, piano

Russian-born Yevgeny Sudbin has already been hailed by critics as the 21st century's first great new piano talent. Since the 2005 release of his highly praised debut recording of Scarlatti sonatas on the Swedish BIS label, he has performed extensively throughout the world and recorded three additional solo albums for BIS. His current season includes debuts with three American orchestras and recitals throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Born in St. Petersburg in 1980, Sudbin has studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Berlin's Hochschule Hanns Eisle and the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he currently resides.

The Music: A familiar ostinato and two Beethoven masterworks
Contemporary American composer John Corigliano's Fantasia on an Ostinato, which premiered in 1987, is a minimalist exploration of a famous five-note motif from the second movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony. The work concludes with a full statement of that original theme.

Confident nobility and rhythmic energy permeate Ludwig van Beethoven's Emperor Piano Concerto, its composer's fifth and final contribution to the form. The notoriously difficult concerto was completed in Vienna in 1809 as Napoleon's army occupied the city. After an epic first movement full of wide leaps and frequent cadenzas, a reflective adagio and an energetic rondo cap this touchstone of the piano repertoire.

Beethoven's lively Seventh Symphony, famously termed "the apotheosis of dance" by Richard Wagner, builds a series of striking musical moments from short, simple figures. The second movement has been an audience favorite since its 1813 premiere, when it was immediately encored.

Orchestra to record Beethoven's Seventh in January

Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra will record Beethoven's Seventh and Second Symphonies in January 2008 for the final installment of their Beethoven Symphonies CD cycle on the BIS label. -- www.minnesotaorchestra.org