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LEGACY: THE NEXT PIANO GENERATION
TUESDAY 17 MARCH 2026
8:00PM
VICTORIA CONCERT HALL
As part of their inaugural Singapore tour, the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra presents two rising pianists — David Chen and Roman Blagojevic, grandsons of the legendary Martha Argerich — who take centre stage in a concert celebrating musical heritage and youthful vitality, conducted by Dario Ntaca.
From the brilliance of Bach’s Keyboard Concerto No. 5 to the sweeping passion of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, and joyful spirit of Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture to the timeless love story of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, this programme offers a journey through tradition, emotion, and renewal.
This concert is co-presented by Altenburg Arts and 54 Entertainment.
PROGRAMME
JS BACH – Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in F minor, BWV 1056 *
TCHAIKOVSKY – Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 †
BRAHMS – Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80
TCHAIKOVSKY – Romeo and Juliet, fantasy overture, TH 42
Roman Blagojevic, piano *
David Chen, piano †
Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra
Dario Alejandro Ntaca, conductor
(Programme subject to change at the artists' discretion)
THE ARTISTS
DAVID CHEN, piano
David Chen was born in 2008 into a family of musicians. His father is the pianist and composer Vladimir Sverdlov-Ashkenazy, and his mother, Lyda Chen-Argerich, is a lawyer and violist.
David discovered piano playing with his grandmother, Elena Ashkenazy. He began piano lessons at the age of five and a half and studied with Serguei Milstein for ten years. His first concert appearance was at the Lugano Progetto Argerich in 2016, where he played four-handed piano with his famous grandmother, Martha Argerich. He participated in the 2019 Swiss National Youth Music Competition and won first prize with distinction in the final round. He also won first prize with distinction at the International Karl Adler Youth Competition Stuttgart in 2018 and 2020, and second prize at the Geneva International Music Competition. He has given recitals and chamber music programs in venues such as Victoria Hall in Switzerland, the KKL Luzern, B-Con Plaza in Japan, the Château de Chantilly in France, the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, the National Theatres in Guangzhou and Nanjing, and the Shanghai Grand Theatre in China. Following his debut as a soloist with orchestra at the Liederhalle in Stuttgart in 2022, he has performed at the Salle Franz Liszt and Victoria Hall in Geneva, as well as at the Esplanade in Singapore.
He has participated in various masterclasses and benefited from the teachings of Professors Mira Marchenko, Elisabeth Leonskaja, and Vsevolod Dvorkin. In July 2025, he performed Prokofiev's Third Concerto in Paris and Beethoven's Second Concerto in Armenia.
David is currently enrolled in the pre-college programme at the Haute École de Musique in Geneva with Mladen Tcholitch and has been accepted into the prestigious Musica Mundi School of Music.
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ROMAN BLAGOJEVIC, piano
Born on 10 September 2006 in Geneva, Roman Blagojevic represents a new generation of musicians shaped by both artistic heritage and rigorous musical training.
He is the son of Stéphanie Argerich, the acclaimed filmmaker behind Bloody Daughter, a deeply personal portrait of her mother, the legendary pianist Martha Argerich. Music has thus been a natural and formative presence in Roman Blagojevic’s life from an early age.
Roman is currently studying with Mladen Tcholitch at the Geneva Conservatory, where he continues to develop his musical voice and technical foundation.
Despite his young age, he has already appeared in concert at the Chantilly Festival, and has performed in Guangzhou, Geneva, and Lucerne, both as a soloist and in chamber settings. His collaborative work includes performances in piano duo and trio formations, notably alongside his grandmother Martha Argerich and his cousin, pianist David Chen.
Balancing lineage with individuality, Roman is emerging as a thoughtful young musician, gaining experience across solo and ensemble repertoire while laying the foundations of a promising artistic journey.
DARÍO ALEJANDRO NTACA, conductor
“Darío Ntaca is an excellent pianist and searching musician… his interpretations of Rachmaninoff show very high standards.” — Martha Argerich
Born into a distinguished musical family, Darío A. Ntaca began his piano studies with his mother, Marta Rossi, and later under the intensive guidance of his father, the late pedagogue Alejandro Ntaca. He continued his musical training in the United States, studying piano at the State University of New York with Germán Diez, assistant to Claudio Arrau, and orchestral conducting at The Juilliard School with Vincent La Selva. At the age of 14, he also met the legendary Earl Wild, whose influence as “The Last Romantic” proved formative to his artistic development.
Ntaca has pursued a dual career as pianist and conductor, appearing in solo recital in major musical centres including Paris, New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Belgrade and Bucharest, and earning praise from The New York Times for his Carnegie Recital Hall debut. As a conductor, he served as Music Director of the San Luis Orchestra in Argentina from 1990 to 1996, where he led a wide-ranging repertoire and undertook a U.S. tour performing and conducting from the keyboard. He has also appeared as pianist and conductor with orchestras across Europe and the Americas.
A renowned interpreter of Rachmaninoff, Ntaca has performed the composer’s complete works for piano and orchestra throughout the Americas to unanimous critical acclaim. His distinctions include the 1983 Concert Award from the State University of New York and the Silver Medal at the Mozart International Competition. He has also been active as an educator and mentor, giving masterclasses in piano, chamber music, and orchestral performance at leading institutions in Europe and the Americas.
Since 2004, Ntaca has been the founder and Music Director of the Sinfonietta Argerich, touring extensively and collaborating closely with Martha Argerich both as conductor and piano-duo partner, including regular appearances at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. In recent seasons, following the pandemic, he has resumed an active international presence, returning to the concert stage in Europe with solo recitals, orchestral engagements, and two-piano performances alongside Argerich.
THAILAND PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Founded in 2005 under the visionary leadership of Dr. Sugree Charoensook, the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra was created to serve as a cultural emblem for the nation, an orchestra that reflects Thailand’s artistic identity and global outlook. Under the longtime musical direction of Founding Chief Conductor Gudni Emilsson, the orchestra rose to prominence, shaping a signature sound and building a strong artistic foundation that has resonated across Southeast Asia and beyond.
TPO has continued to grow artistically under the musical leadership of former Chief Conductor Alfonso Scarano and current Music Director Carl St. Clair. The orchestra has collaborated with many of the world’s most respected conductors, such as Kahchun Wong, Ligia Amadio, Claude Villaret, Jeffery Meyer, Johannes Klumpp, Delta David Gier, and Terje Mikkelsen, as well as acclaimed soloists, including Mischa Maisky, Ray Chen, Sumi Jo, Kristóf Baráti, Alexander Kobrin, Sergei Nakariakov, and Joseph Alessi. Each collaboration has brought new international perspectives and artistic depth, reinforcing TPO’s role as a leader in cultural exchange and musical dialogue.
From its home in Prince Mahidol Hall, a state-of-the-art concert venue in Bangkok seating over 2,000, the orchestra presents more than thirty major concerts each season. Its programming spans the masterworks of the classical repertoire, bold new creations from the global contemporary-music scene, and beloved favourites from cinema, games, and jazz. TPO also serves as a platform for artistic innovation, commissioning new works, elevating Thai and Southeast Asian composers, advancing music education, and engaging communities across generations.
Today, under the renewed vision of Executive Director and Dean, Piyawat Louilarpprasert, the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra embraces its role as both a cultural foundation and a platform for creative change. With creativity, courage, and purpose, TPO continues its mission to inspire, engage, and enrich the future of orchestral music in Thailand and on the world stage.
