When Symphony Tacoma presents works by Beethoven and Mozart this Saturday - Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 19 and Symphony No. 29 in A major, K. 201, respectively - the concert will add extra treats for classical music lovers. For one thing, there'll be two bonus selections: Pavane, op. 50 by Gabriel Fauré and Adagietto from Symphony No. 5 by Gustav Mahler. Then there's the starring performance by Australian superstar pianist David Fung, who, among numerous other triumphs, won the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition and crushed Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini at the Beijing Olympics. That's after he attended medical school in Australia.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: You play from memory. How do you cram all that into your head?

DAVID FUNG: A lot of musicians take a good portion of their life to learn music ... Even if one thinks they know it, it always changes - the understanding of the music. I've played all the Beethoven concertos before. We're doing the second Beethoven concerto in Tacoma, and it's in my brain somewhere but it does take time to bring it back.

WV: Does the conductor take her timing from you?

DF: Right, in an ideal world, when the soloist plays, the orchestra in some ways is an accompaniment. My personal view is different, and a lot of people believe this: It's really a partnership, and I think you really can't have a great performance without give and take. And that involves the conductor (in this case, Sarah Ioannides) leading the orchestra but making sure there is that leeway to collaborate. And I think that's what's really fun about being on stage with an orchestra. We have to all play together as one, and I think that's sometimes the most exciting thing. It's when everyone fits together like a 5,000-piece puzzle.

WV: How much rehearsal time do you get with each orchestra?

DF: Usually it's one or two rehearsals and then a sound check.

WV: Do you get a chance to explore the cities you visit?

DF: I feel like I know the airports really well, and the concert halls! I think about Paris: It was the sixth time I was there before I finally went up the Eiffel Tower. It was the seventh or eighth time before I went to the Louvre, and that's funny because it was because I played there. I wish there was more time to go in and see the cities by choice. I've never been to Tacoma before. I'm very excited about it ... I like to plan trips to just be in touch with that place, the people, the food and culture. That's something that's really fun about being a pianist as well: I think even though you might not get the time you like when you're there, you still get a sense of the place nonetheless, and that's a real joy.

Beethoven & Mozart, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 25, Rialto Theater, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, $19-$80, 253.591.5894, broadwaycenter.org