Winner of the 2009 Van Cliburn competition, Haochen Zhang is no stranger to a challenge. On this début concerto recording he proves this once more, boldly jumping in at the deep end as he takes on Sergei Prokofievs Piano Concerto No. 2. The demands posed by Prokofievs concerto are famous, starting with a huge cadenza already in the first movement. This may explain why the concerto was for a long time relatively unknown and, unlike the First and Third Piano Concertos, has only recently taken its rightful place in the repertory. The work was premièred by the composer himself in 1913, shocking the audience with its modernistic sounds and jagged rhythms. But even though Prokofiev was happy to nurture a reputation for badboy modernism, there is also a rich seam of Russian tradition which underlie his music from the beginning to the end of his career. It is therefore fitting that Haochen Zhang has chosen to complete the album with one of the best-loved concertos from that tradition: Tchaikovskys Piano Concerto in B-flat minor. In both works, Zhang is supported by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra under the baton of its principal conductor, Dima Slobodeniouk. © BIS Records