This Figure Skating Season’s Best Classical Programs— And What To Look Forward to at Beijing 2022

The 2022 Beijing Olympics have officially begun and as always, the figure skating events are turning heads across the world. It’s not just the flamboyant outfits, the fairytale couple stories, the legendary coaches, and the drama between skaters, but the art of figure skating that draws people to the sport. And that art always starts with a soundtrack.

This year’s Olympic games will (and already have, with the conclusion of the team event last night) bring together the best athletes and programs of this season. There’s no doubt that program music is becoming more modern— at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, ice dance bronze medal winners Maia and Alex Shibutani skated to Paradise by Coldplay, and women’s silver medalist Evgenia Medvedeva skated to the soundtrack of the film “Anna Karenina,” However, classical music has made its mark in this season’s programs. Here are a few of our favorites to look forward to in the individual events starting tonight.

Chopin’s Prelude and Nocturne in E minor

American ice dancers Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean Luc Baker have had a difficult season. Hawayek’s concussion in the summer of 2021 resulted in their withdrawal from the 2021 U.S. Classic and the 2021 NHK Trophy. However, their performance at US Nationals this January earned them a spot at this year’s Olympics.

Commentator Johnny Weir described the free dance as “haunting” with “silent ghost-like movements,” Beginning with the stirring Prelude that builds into the escalating joy of the Nocturne, the performance perfectly encapsulates the ups and downs of their difficult season.

You can watch them skate on February 13, 2022, at 8:39 PM CST.

Marcello’s Oboe Concerto in D minor and Vivaldi’s Cello Concerto in C minor

2018 Olympic silver medalist Shoma Uno’s oboe concerto short program has existed since 2020, only performed at galas and ice shows. Fans were ecstatic when it became his official short program for this year’s Olympics.

Uno and his choreographers do an incredible job in matching Vivaldi’s baroque style. His lines and statuesque posing draw connections to late Renaissance-baroque art. The sharp contrasts and colors of the concerto are highlighted by his perfectly timed quads. There’s no doubt that Uno is one of the most expressive skaters in the men’s field today, and this program does not let us down.

You can watch him skate on February 7, 2022, at 10:25 PM CST.

Prokoviev’s Romeo and Juliet

Latvian figure skater Deniss Vasiļjevs’ has been constantly setting new personal bests this season. His striving for perfection, in “landing the jumps like a drop that falls into water,” according to him, is evident in his skating, and he claimed the bronze medal at the European figure skating championships earlier this year.

His coach Stephane Lambiel took the help of ballet dancer Kateryna Shalkina to choreograph a phenomenal program that tells the story of Romeo and Juliet.

You can watch him skate on February 9, 2022, at 8:48 PM CST.

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

Ice dancers Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov of Russia are looking for an Olympic comeback. At the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, their Rachmaninoff program led to an unsuccessful skate that cost them a medal. Now, they’re podium favorites, having won gold at both of their Grand Prix competitions and the European championships this season.

Skating to Rachmaninoff again, the connection between the two skaters and the stirring melody of the piano concerto makes this program incredibly powerful.

You can watch them skate on February 13, 2022, at 10:20 PM CST.

Puccini’s Turandot

Cha Jun-Hwan is the first South Korean male skater to medal at nearly every major international competition. His high-level quad jumps paired with beautiful artistic ability make him a strong skater that many are looking forward to at this year’s Olympics.

His free program, the late Romanic era opera “Turandot,” has made its name on the ice several times in past seasons. The powerful “Nessun Dorma” aria can easily overpower many skaters if their skating skills and interpretation don’t match the music. Jun-Hwan does an incredible job, with a beautiful footwork sequence as a buildup and a well-timed ina bauer moment leaving his audience speechless at the triumphant finale.

You can watch him skate on February 9, 2022, at 10:54 PM CST.

Ravel’s Bolero

In the next few days, Kamila Valieva will compete for gold in the individual event as a podium favorite. Her music, Bolero, is one of the most popular pieces in figure skating programs, and Valieva once again made history in the team event last night as the first woman to ever land a quad at the Olympic games.

She interprets the piece rather uniquely; her flexibility and incredible contortive spin positions are matched by a red costume that displays a green snake coiling around her body. Her sharp movements, which she herself describes as “being so plastic as if to repeat the movements of a snake,” complement the repeated rhythms of the piece.

You can watch her skate on February 17, 2022, at 7:49 AM CST.

Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso

Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu is easily one of the best figure skaters of all time. Already a two-time Olympic gold medalist, he takes the ice this year to defend his title.

His music, which was originally for solo violin and orchestra, was arranged for piano by famous pianist Shinya Kiyozuka specifically for this program. Yuzuru described the theme of the program as “going forward by changing a light from the darkness into power,” Beginning with a quiet melody that grows into an energetic footwork sequence and finale, his performance at Japanese nationals had the audience on their feet cheering before the program was even over.

You can watch him skate on February 7, 2022, at 10:19 PM CST.