Catch Olga Kern Live in Norfolk:
What: Zemlinsky Quartet with Olga Kern
When: May 22, 2025
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Robin Hixon Theater, Clay and Jay Barr Education Center
Tickets: VAF website
Program: Dvořák’s fiery Piano Quintet No. 2.
What: Virginia Arts Festival Players with Olga Kern
When: June 11, 2025
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Robin Hixon Theater, Clay and Jay Barr Education Center
Tickets: VAF website
Program: HAYDN Piano Trio No. 39 “Gypsy,” DOPPLER Souvenir du Rigi, SAMAZEULH Esquires D’Espagne-Chant Sans Parole (1914), GLINKA Trio Pathetique, SCHUBERT Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 “Trout”
Olga Kern has not only played with some of the world’s finest musicians – she is one of them. Over the decades, Kern has won some of classical music’s highest honors and dazzled audiences from Moscow to Manhattan. But this spring, she’s right at home in Norfolk.
“I’m here every year,” she says. “It’s a big visit — and a big part of my musical year.”
Kern, a Russian-American pianist with a vibrant stage presence and a clear love for repertoire that’s on the Romantic side, is back for the Virginia Arts Festival’s 2025 season with not one, but two Norfolk performances — and a lineup of collaborators that span continents and traditions.
She’ll first appear May 22 alongside the much-acclaimed Zemlinsky Quartet, tackling Dvořák’s fiery Piano Quintet No. 2. Then, on June 11, she returns to lead a series of chamber concerts alongside the Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Players. Kern will be joined by local artists and international guests.
Kern has become a fixture of the Virginia Arts Festival’s chamber music series — more than just a performer, she’s also its artistic director. It’s a role she says she enjoys immensely.
“As a pianist, it’s rare to get this kind of opportunity — to really dedicate time to chamber music. Usually it’s all recitals and concertos,” she says. “But here, I get to invite the musicians I most want to work with. Every year is different, and that’s what makes it exciting.”
Schubert and More
Among the many highlights is Schubert’s “Trout Quintet,” an unconventional piece that includes the double bass — unusual for chamber settings and, as Kern says, a key part of the magic.
“It gives it such a deep, warm sound. It’s exciting for piano, too. There’s a lot to play,” she says. “Everyone knows the theme — people may not realize it, but it’s one of those melodies that lives in the culture.”
That accessibility is something Kern cares deeply about. She knows that for some audiences, chamber music can feel intimidating or opaque, but that’s not how she sees it.
“This music comes from the heart,” she says. “It’s meant to be shared, not understood like some academic text. Even with contemporary pieces — we choose ones that are fun to hear. It’s all about making it easy to enjoy.”
For someone whose career spans major concert halls and festivals around the world, Kern remains firmly grounded. Perhaps this can be attributed to her roots — both her parents were pianists, and her connection to the Romantic tradition runs deep (she’s even distantly related to Anna Petrovna Kern, the muse of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin). Or maybe it’s her energy, which is equally intense on stage and off – as when chatting via Zoom about the upcoming Norfolk shows.
Seeing Colors in Music
Kern has often spoken of “seeing” color in music.
“Some pieces feel like blue, others gold or silver. Rachmaninoff is red. Mozart feels more classical — maybe gold. Beethoven? Sometimes blue. I talk to my designer about all of this,” she says. “It’s part of the show.”
As for newcomers, Kern offers one piece of advice: Come as you are.
“Don’t be afraid of classical music,” she says. “You’ll hear something you recognize, even if you think you haven’t. It’s in the movies, the culture. It all came from here.”
