Daniil Trifonov withdraws from Berlin Philharmonic tour after accident; Víkingur Ólafsson steps in

The Russian pianist is recovering from spinal injuries sustained in a staircase accident at home and will not return to the stage for the time being. Ólafsson will replace him in Berlin and on the orchestra’s major tour to New York and South America.

Daniil Trifonov has withdrawn from his forthcoming concerts with the Berliner Philharmoniker and chief conductor Kirill Petrenko as he continues to recover from spinal injuries sustained in an accident at home.

The pianist revealed that he suffered the injuries in a staircase accident at his home in early August. While he said that his recovery “has been going well,” the nature of the injuries prevents him from returning to the stage “for the time being.” He added that he hopes to be back in concert halls later this year.

The Berliner Philharmoniker subsequently confirmed that Trifonov will miss its concerts in Berlin from 1 to 3 October and the orchestra’s ensuing tour to New York, Bogotá, São Paulo and Buenos Aires. Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson will replace him throughout, with the programme remaining unchanged.

Ólafsson will perform Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15, with the Berliner Philharmoniker under Petrenko. The concerts will take place in Berlin on 1–3 October, New York on 9 and 11 October, Bogotá on 15 October, São Paulo on 18 October, and Buenos Aires on 21 and 23 October.

The replacement affects one of the major international tours in the Berliner Philharmoniker’s 2026–27 season. Following its New York appearances, the orchestra will travel to South America for concerts in Colombia, Brazil and Argentina.

Trifonov had been one of the principal soloists of the tour, with Brahms’s First Piano Concerto forming part of the orchestra’s programme. The Berliner Philharmoniker and Petrenko wished him a speedy recovery and thanked Ólafsson for agreeing to step in.

Trifonov has not given a specific date for his return. In his social media statement, he said he was looking forward to performing again later this year and, in the meantime, would share more material connected with his forthcoming album, Mi Historia Americana – Sur, due for release on 2 October.