Each one of Krystian Zimerman’s piano recitals is a truly special experience. Not only in view of the fact that the Polish master pianist limits himself to 50 annual appearances to maintain his high-quality standards, but also because he is capable of eliciting extraordinary depth and beauty from works of piano repertoire we thought we knew well. “I don’t play the notes; I play the reason why the composer wrote them”. That is the tremendously demanding artistic credo of the man who won the Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1975, and the Ruhr Piano Festival audience knows how remarkably well he puts that principle into practice in every appearance. The Festival thanked him by awarding him its annual Prize in 2014: this time, once again, Zimerman will bring his own piano to the recital. Regardless of the programme he ultimately chooses to play, Zimerman affirms that he attains true bliss “when I no longer perceive the instrument on which I am playing.” That is the moment when Zimerman becomes one with the music.