“Bold and courageous” – Classical Voice America

“Sandrin expresses the sounds with infinite subtlety” – Nieuwe Noten Netherlands

"A brave new world" – BBC Music Magazine

"An incredibly talented pianist"– Piano News Germany

Repertoire:

E.T.A. Hoffmann: Piano Sonata in F minor

J. Brahms: Four Ballads op. 10

R. Schumann: Kreisleriana op. 16

P.I. Tchaikowsky/Pletnev: The Nutcracker Suite

One of the most significant writers in German literature, E.T.A. Hoffmann had an extensive and profound impact on the course of classical music. Acclaimed pianist Cristian Sandrin will take on some of Hoffmann’s own compositions alongside works inspired by his writings, including Schumann’s masterpiece ‘Kreisleriana’, (named after the character Kreisler, a moody and difficult composer, and Hoffman’s own alter ego), music by Brahms (who often signed his work Johannes ‘Kreisler’ Brahms), and diabolically virtuosic piano arrangements of orchestral music from the beloved Nutcracker ballet by Tchaikovsky based on the famous story by Hoffmann.

Cristian Sandrin is a London-based pianist of Romanian heritage. Born into a family of musicians, he has been surrounded by classical music all his life, making his debut at the historic Romanian Atheneum Concert Hall in Bucharest at the age of 13. At 19 he was accepted into the Royal Academy of Music, London, where he studied under professors Diana Ketler and Christopher Elton, before making his solo debut at the Wigmore Hall in 2017. He has won many awards, including the Roslyn Tureck Special Prize for the best inter- pretation of Bach at the 2019 International Piano Competition in Albuquerque NM. Critics on both sides of the Atlantic have praised him for his immaculate technique, crystalline clarity and mature inter- pretations. He has recently had his Konzerthaus Berlin solo debut and LSO St Luke's in London. His debut Cd "Correspondances" (Antarctica Label) has been praised by the BBC Music Magazine and has been voted as the Recording of the Month by the Piano News magazine in Germany, featuring on radio stations across Europe: Radio France Musique, RAI Tre, Bayerische Rundfunk, Rundfunk Berlin, Radio Romania Muzical. In 2025 Cristian prepares exciting debuts at St John Smith Square in London, Beethovenhaus in Bonn and Serate Musicali in Milan.