Pianist, organist, composer, conductor, mathematician – Kit Armstrong considers himself a «musician» first and foremost. Not without nostalgia, he notes that «these days, people insist on viewing these activities as completely separate from one another». As the Philharmonie Luxembourg’s Artist in focus, he has an opportunity «to express myself in a bespoke format,» for, as he reveals, «in addition to the wonderful Luxembourgish orchestra, there is the Philharmonie itself, one of my favourite concert halls, with an organ that can accommodate a great diversity of repertoire.» He speaks from experience, since he has known the Philharmonie for ten years, both from the stage and the auditorium’s perspective. To him, the connection with a place is very important: «It’s the first thing you notice when you attend a concert. Every place has an atmosphere which speaks directly to the human subconscious.» On 25.11., the atmospheric vibe will be one of jazz, for that evening he performs as an improviser with the pianist Michael Wollny, pursuing the idea of «creating something new by making every moment refer to various styles of music, without completely adopting any of them.»

On 19.01., he returns for an evening of chamber music, one of his favourite genres, performing piano quartets with principals of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Finally, a recital on 29.04. enables the audience to witness him playing both his instruments, the organ and piano. All this follows a concert with the Luxembourg Philharmonic, which he conducts from the piano at St. Paulus church in Trier on 27.09., part of the Mosel Musikfestival. «Whether it’s a chamber music partner or a long-dead composer, what fascinates me about classical music is the opportunity to empathize with another person’s spirit»: his presence as a focus artist seems an ideal opportunity to delve into his way of thinking.