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Order No: 55016 Johannes Brahms Concerto for piano and orchestra no 2 in B major Symphony no 2 in D major op. 73 Orchestra: The French Symphonic Orchestra Conductor: Laurent Petitgirard Soloist: Nelson Freire, piano Born in Brazil in 1944, Nelson Freire was three years old when his sister gave him his first piano lesson. A natural talent, he was able to play back from memory entire pieces performed by her.  He soon began systematic piano studies, making his first public appearance at the age of four. His success performing Beethoven's Emperor Concerto at the 1957 International Piano Competition in Rio de Janeiro earned him a government funded scholarship which enabled him to continue his studies in Vienna with Bruno Seidlhofer. Seven years later, Freire won the Dinu Lipatti Medal in London and first prize at the International Vienna da Motta Competition in Lisbon. Nelson Freire has since performed as soloist with such orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic and many more. Freire made his United States debut in 1970, since then he has toured the United States regularly. Freire also performs in recitals and duo concerts with Martha Argerich, Gidon Kremer and Misha Maisky. Laurent Petitgirard was the music director of the Orchestre Symphonique de France from 1989 to 1996.His parallel career as a conductor stretches back to the 1970s. He has written a number of substantial orchestral scores as well as having an extensive catalogue of music for film and television (including the music for many episodes in the French ‘Maigret’ series and Otto Preminger’s ‘Rosebud’).