Certain artists are gifted with several talents at once, and Lahav Shani is one of them. Born in Tel Aviv, he studied piano and conducting in Berlin; in 2018 he was named Chief Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, then Artistic Director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 2020. Shani is the youngest conductor in the history of these two internationally renowned orchestras. As a pianist, he thrills audiences with his energetic, brilliant playing, as he shall once again demonstrate in Bochum with sonatas by Sergey Prokofiev. As Shani is today, Prokofiev was also a multi-talent in his time: he composed music tailored to fit his own bold, innovative playing style. Lahav Shani approaches Prokofiev’s expressive piano sonatas as dramatic itineraries, and they show this outstanding pianist from a completely different angle, far removed from the conductor’s baton.