Chopin’s First Piano Concerto with Hayato Sumino

Internet-famous virtuoso Hayato Sumino first rose to global popularity as a semi-finalist at the 2021 International Chopin Competition, quickly captivating audiences with his technical prowess and musical wit. Reuniting with the Los Angeles Philharmonic after his riveting debut at the Hollywood Bowl in 2025, Hayato performs Chopin’s lush and poetic Piano Concerto No. 1. “For me, Chopin has always been like an idol,” Sumino says. “He’s such a perfectionist; he wrote every piece very carefully, but at the same time, it sounds like it’s written on the spot. They feel like improvisation.” On the first half of the program, former Mostly Mozart Festival Music Director Louis Langrée reveals the graceful and feisty duality of the composer’s “Gran Partita.” Regarded as one of the most sublime works for wind ensemble, the serenade “achieves an uncanny blend of breeziness and grandeur. The music seems genial and sunny, yet is also intricate and complex, almost epic” (The New York Times).