Cal Performances audiences will soon hear what international critics have been buzzing about when the thrilling South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho makes his Berkeley debut this season. Cho won the gold medal at the Chopin International Piano Competition in 2015, joining a cohort that includes Maurizio Pollini and Martha Argerich, and has been in high demand ever since. Lauded for “crystal-cut phrasing” (Los Angeles Times), “jaw-dropping panache” (The Wall Street Journal), and “bulletproof technique” (The Washington Post), here Cho lends his interpretive prowess to a program that includes two grand achievements of musical invention and variation: Brahms’ Handel Variations and Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes.

Support for this performance is provided by Fred Levin, The Shenson Foundation.

Run time for this concert is approximately 2 hours, including intermission, but not including any possible encores.