The appearance of the name of pianist Martha Argerich is an event for any musical institution and any concert season, anywhere in the world. A legendary presence on the concert stage for more than six decades, she continues to delight audiences thanks to the gift of longevity, her immense experience, and especially the way she perceives and conveys a musical dynamism that is vividly alive and intensely emotional. Martha Argerich remains "one of the most visionary and spontaneous artists in the contemporary musical landscape," according to musicologist Harriet Smith. She is also known as the only artist who always sets her own conditions, recording what she wants, when she wants, and choosing her collaborators herself. Equally astonishing is her extraordinary endurance. In June she will celebrate her 85th birthday, a fact that does not prevent her from embarking on a new European tour, which began on March 7 with a two-piano recital in Karlsruhe, Germany, together with Shin-Heae Kang a pianist of South Korean origin who enjoys her full support.

On March 12th, Martha Argerich will appear as the soloist with the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana in Lugano, under the baton of Charles Dutoit, her long time stage partner. She will perform the Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15 by Ludwig van Beethoven. The concert will also be broadcast live through the European Broadcasting Union, and the same concerto will be presented in five additional performances scheduled in Milan and in Spain later this month. In fact, Martha Argerich's concert calendar is extremely rich: by September 2nd she is scheduled to give 26 concerts and recitals in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, the Czech Republic, and Austria.

It is hardly surprising - everything about this "great lady of the piano" is exceptional. She retains her natural charm with her silver streaked hair, her immense talent, brilliance, and above all the fame earned through the power of her interpretations, offering a perspective of vigor and virtuosity combined with a uniquely delicate fragility. As always, she appears surrounded by musicians, friends, and collaborators valued, admired, and accompanied by her legendary aura, which grows stronger with every new appearance that ideally captures "the natural rhythm of music." The March 12th concert performed by the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana, an ensemble that celebrated nine decades of existence last year will include, alongside the Beethoven concerto, two well-known works loved by music lovers: the suite from the ballet Mother Goose by Maurice Ravel and Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90 "Italian" by Felix Mendelssohn. These are yet more reasons to eagerly anticipate this event of the Swiss concert season.