Evgeny Kissin, Barbican

Since his earliest performances, the Russian-born pianist Evgeny Kissin has stunned audiences with his muscular virtuosity, carving out a reputation as a bracing interpreter of Romantic repertoire. In June he’s coming to the Barbican, with a programme of Schubert and Scriabin.

These composers sit on either side of Kissin’s main territory – Chopin and Liszt, the great pianistic pyrotechnicians of the 19th century – so it will be intriguing to find out how he tackles them. Schubert brings something of the classical era’s elegance and restraint with him, while Scriabin’s daring experiments with form and tonality look ahead to the 20th century. The former’s D major sonata is always a joy to hear, with its impetuous opening and wonderfully melodious slow movement. Meanwhile, Scriabin’s etudes, which conclude the evening, are a relatively rare thing to hear in the concert hall, owing to their notorious difficulty – both technical and interpretative.

Whatever his approach, we have no doubt that Kissin will bring tremendous colour and energy to everything here. Reviews for his previous performances of this programme have been rapturous, so don’t miss out.