This week, the highly praised Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski makes his National Symphony Orchestra debut performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto. This follows his debut recital at the Kennedy Center this past February. “I look forward to working again with Lorin Maazel,” he said, speaking from his home in Skpoje. “I first performed with him and the New York Philharmonic in 2007, part of a tour and package of concerts with him. I’m happy to play under Maestro Maazel once again and am always ready to learn something from him.

“The Grieg is the second piano concerto I learned, right after ‘Rhapsody in Blue.’ I’ll play it several times this season with a couple of orchestras. It’s an amazing piece and a great responsibility. Because it’s a favorite of many people and is played often, it’s normal for pianists to have a different approach. I play it as natural as I can so the audience hears something interesting.”