Kenny Broberg, one of the most decorated and internationally renowned pianists of his generation, debuts on the Steinway & Sons label with a program of virtuosic music by Medtner, Rachmaninov and Scriabin.

Kenny Broberg has been Praised for his inventive, intelligent and intense performances.

“Rachmaninov, Scriabin, and Medtner have a rich history between them. The album gives listeners insight into that history, through these four challenging and exciting pieces (Rachmaninov’s Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 36; Alexander Scriabin’s Sonata No. 5, Op. 53; Nikolai Medtner’s Sonata in E minor, Op. 25 No. 2 “Night Wind” and Danza festiva, Op. 38 No. 3.) These three composers’ lives are all inextricably linked together. They befriended each other, they challenged each other, and they inspired each other. Bringing their compositions together on this album is something I will cherish for years to come.”

— Kenny Broberg

“Medtner’s vast “Night Wind” sonata...is an exceptional sonata that is heard less often than it deserves, likely because of its prodigious technical and emotional difficulty – Broberg’s highly impressive performance makes a very strong case for the best pianists to undertake it more frequently... He carries the work forward with admirable attentiveness to its moods throughout.”

— Infodad

“Kenny Broberg scales some considerable mountains on this stellar contribution to the Steinway & Sons label...Regardless of the character of the music in play, Broberg's assured execution and acute sensitivity dazzle.”

— Textura

“Broberg’s expressive palette comes into play throughout the [Night Wind] sonata’s second half, while still keeping Medtner’s contrasts between thematic material and leggierissimo ‘filler’ in perfect perspective. A stunningly spaced and articulated reading of Medtner’s Danza festiva concludes a mostly impressive recital from a gifted pianist whose career I look forward to following in the future.”

— Gramophone

“There is a lot to like here: the crisp, properly edgy tone in the Medtner sonata (which is not as commonly played as the other works), the clean execution of the Scriabin, but really, the best news is Broberg’s careful structuring of the melodic material, even amidst the clatter of percussive, rapid runs.”

— AllMusic Guide

“[Scriabin's] Fifth Sonata... embodies a blazing expression of upward audacities, and Broberg certainly addresses its compulsive momentum. Broberg’s tempos remain voluptuously swift, moving from slow, drooping figures that suddenly erupt into gallops that outdo Liszt and Chopin. The Languido section assumes a gripping eroticism, moving accarezzevole, caressingly and culminating ecstatico, in a burst of illumination, fff.  The sense of impulsive urgency dominates the performance, even as the music dematerializes in its final pages, imbued with poetic light.”  

—Audiophile Audition

“Medtner’s melodic gift is scarcely less than Rachmaninoff’s here, and the [Night Wind] sonata balances rhapsody and rhetoric so well that the listening experience remains interesting for the entire half hour. I was delighted to make this discovery... Broberg is thoroughly convincing in all three composers, and there is no difficulty in giving this release a strong, enthusiastic recommendation.”  

— Fanfare

“Broberg demonstrates a formidable technique, delivering a polished and exuberant performance [of Rachmaninov's Sonata No. 2]. Broberg performs [Medtner's Danza Festiva] with great bravado. In all, a fine recording by a young artist from whom we can hope to hear again.”

— The WholeNote 

“This is a truly demanding program that makes it clear how Broberg has been a medalist at both the Tchaikovsky and Van Cliburn competitions in recent years. Broberg has all the technique required for [Rachmaninov's Sonata No. 2] and gives as satisfying a rendition as just about anyone...a highly recommended debut disc, and I’ll will keep my eyes open for more.”

— American Record Guide

  ALBUM CREDITS

Kenny Broberg - Sonatas By Medtner, Rachmaninov, Scriabin • STNS 30198

Release Date: 01/06/2023

 
Recorded November 1, 2021 at Sono Luminus Studios, Boyce, Virginia.

Producer: Dan Merceruio
Engineer: Daniel Shores
Assistant Engineer: Joshua Frey
Mixing and Mastering Engineer: Daniel Shores

Executive Producers: Eric Feidner, Jon Feidner
Art Direction: Jackie Fugere
Design: Cover to Cover Design, Anilda Carrasquillo
Artist Liaisons: Vivian Chiu, Rosalie Burrell
Photos of Kenny Broberg: Lee Clifford and Polina Osherov
Production Assistant: Renée Oakford
Piano: Steinway & Sons Model D #590904
Piano Technician: John Veitch

About the Artist

During his auspicious career before winning the 2021 American Pianists Awards and Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship, Kenny Broberg captured the silver medal at the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and a bronze medal at the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition as well as prizes at the Hastings, Sydney, Seattle and New Orleans International Piano Competitions, becoming one of the most decorated and internationally renowned pianists of his generation. Broberg is lauded for his inventive, intelligent and intense performances.

Crediting his first exposure to classical music to his Italian grandfather’s love of The Three Tenors, Broberg began piano lessons on his family’s upright piano at age 6. During his childhood in Minneapolis, he began studying piano with Dr. Joseph Zins at Crocus Hill Studios in Saint Paul. Throughout high school, he balanced his musical lessons with playing baseball and hockey. He remains an avid fan of both the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Wild and checks their scores while on breaks during his practice.

Broberg earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 2016 at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, studying under Nancy Weems. He continued his studies at Park University in Parkville, Missouri, under the direction of Stanislav Ioudenitch, the gold medalist at the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. In Fall 2022, Broberg joined the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid as Deputy Professor of the Fundación Banco Santander Piano Chair led by Ioudenitch.

Performing on stages and in concert halls across Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America, Broberg has worked with some of the world’s most respected conductors, including Ludovic Morlot, Kent Nagano, Leonard Slatkin, Vasily Petrenko, Nicholas Milton, John Storgårds, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Gerard Schwarz and Stilian Kirov. He has collaborated with the Royal Philharmonic and the Minnesota, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Sydney, Seattle and Fort Worth Symphonies, among others. He has been featured on WQXR, Performance Today, Minnesota Public Radio and ABC (Australia) Radio, and presented his original composition “Barcarolle” on NPR in March 2021.

About Steinway & Sons label

The STEINWAY & SONS music label produces exceptional albums of solo piano music across all genres. The label — a division of STEINWAY & SONS, maker of the world’s finest pianos — is a perfect vessel for producing the finest quality recordings by some of the most talented pianists in the world.