Aris Alexander Blettenberg is a threefold talent. As a pianist, he has received many outstanding awards, including First Prize at the renowned Beethoven Competition in Vienna in 2021. Blettenberg also regularly conducts operas in Meiningen and on other stages; moreover, he has been making himself a name as a composer. The young Greco-German musician grew up in Mülheim an der Ruhr; last year, he was selected by Ruhr Piano Festival Prize laureate Gerhard Oppitz as scholarship holder for 2021-2022. Blettenberg now performs his Festival début in Schwelm with a fascinating programme, which, as he remarks, “combines two composers who, at first glance, would seem to have nothing in common: Franz Schubert and George Gershwin. But if we take a closer look, we can discover interesting parallels. In the way they made and wrote music, both Schubert and Gershwin were considerably influenced by the folklore and dance music of their respective home countries. As legendary “songwriters” of their times, they wrote melodies that became immortal. In this program we hear original works by Schubert along with transcriptions of his lieder from the vantage point of several different arrangers. Leopold Godowsky was a contemporary of Gershwin’s, and the fascinating harmonies in his Schubert arrangements bridge the gap between the classical style and jazz.”