Jonathan Biss, piano

Sunday, March 17 7pm
Herbst Theatre
Premium $65/$55/$38

SCHUMANN: Fantasiestücke, interspersed with selections from JANÁCEK’s On an Overgrown Path, Davidsbündlertänze
BERG: Sonata No. 1

Two of Schumann’s greatest cycles for solo piano are matched to twentieth-century works to which have deep connections. Says Biss: “While the titles of many of Schumann and Janácek’s individual movements are often strikingly similar, the real link is in the mercurial nature of their music. The Berg clearly responds… Show more to, and here, “foreshadows” Schumann’s most personal and touching work for the piano.”

Jonathan Biss has appeared with the foremost orchestras of North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Widely regarded known not only for his artistry and poetic interpretations but also for his deep musical curiosity, Biss performs a diverse repertoire ranging from Mozart and Beethoven, through the Romantics to Janáček and Schoenberg as well as works by contemporary composers such as Gyorgy Kurtág and including commission from Leon Kirchner, Lewis Spratian and Bernard Rands. Biss has a noted recording career. His recordings include an album of Schubert sonatas and two short Kurtág pieces that was named by NPR Music as one of the best albums of the year. His recent albums for EMI won a Diapason d'Or de l'année award and an Edison Award. In January 2012, Onyx Classics released the first CD in a nine-year, nine-disc recording cycle of Beethoven's complete sonatas. Biss wrote about this recording project and also and about his relationship with Beethoven's music more generally for a 19,000-word essay called Beethoven’s Shadow that was published electronically as a Kindle Single and is available from Amazon online stores. Biss studied at Indiana University and at The Curtis Institute of Music, where he was appointed to the piano faculty in 2010. His blog featuring music ruminations, reflections about his life as a musician, and interviews can be found at www.jonathanbiss.com.

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