It was an amazing day and a very special evening. The day before our concerts on 8th and 9th of October with maestro Jansons and Bavarian Radio Orchestra, which will be recorded on DVD and broadcast live on Medici.TV, Rodion Shchedrin invited us to dinner. I wish I could convey my sentiments, I feel during our conversation with these legendary people. For the first time I came here in 2004, during that visit I recorded Fifth Concerto by Shchedrin with Bavarian Radio Orchestra and Mariss Janons. Orchestra is one of top 5 in the world in quality, emotions and perfectionism to my mind. And today, 11 years later I am here again with Mariss Jansons and Rodion Shchedrin on the eve of season opening for Bavarian Radio Orchestra. ...

As I always say: there is not even one day without improvisation in my life. It gives a peculiar scent to every day. Especially when you are on tour. And today’s happening proves this. As you know I am in Amsterdam right now. Tomorrow we will give a start to a series of concerts with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and maestro Mariss Jansons. And suddenly I got a phone call from maestro Gergiev, who was curious about where I was at that very moment. And when he got my answer – Amsterdam, he was really pleased and said that he was in Rotterdam. He is to perform a concert there tomorrow with Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (they collaborated for many years). Besides he has a great festival there. And I took part in it many times. ...