Concerts

The thirty-year-old artist Anna Handler explores the life of the thirty-year-old Beethoven. Around 1801, he composed important piano pieces and famous sonatas such as the 'Moonlight' Sonata and the 'Storm' Sonata, through which he broke away from traditional conventions. Friendships also played a significant role in Beethoven’s life during this period, which is why other friends will join him on stage to perform during the concert.

The thirty-year-old artist Anna Handler explores the life of the thirty-year-old Beethoven. Around 1801, he composed important piano pieces and famous sonatas such as the 'Moonlight' Sonata and the 'Storm' Sonata, through which he broke away from traditional conventions. Friendships also played a significant role in Beethoven’s life during this period, which is why other friends will join him on stage to perform during the concert.

Supported by: The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media

Having appeared in the 'Young Stars' series just a season or two ago, the Leonkoro Quartet has established itself as one of the leading and most sought-after string quartets of the younger generation. The programme features works by Beethoven and Schubert, as well as the world premiere of a string quartet by Sauli Zinovjev. The composition by the young Finnish composer, whose works are performed by the world's leading orchestras, is a commission from, amongst others, the Beethoven-Haus.

With the kind support of the Hermann J. Abs Foundation.

For many years, Evgeni Koroliov has impressed audiences with his intellectual insight into the works, to which he devotes his pianistic and interpretative skills. Between 2020 and 2022, he performed a highly acclaimed cycle of Beethoven’s piano sonatas in the Chamber Music Hall. Here, he thoughtfully combines the Diabelli Variations – the major work for solo piano that was still missing – with excerpts from Bach’s masterpieces, which are particularly sophisticated in their counterpoint.

Since the Beethoven anniversary year in 2020, the Hermann J. Abs Prize for the best interpretation of a work by Ludwig van Beethoven has been awarded as part of the “Jugend musiziert” competition. The prize is awarded by the respective national jury. The prize includes a concert performance of the competition programme in the Chamber Music Hall.

The concert will be recorded by WDR.

With the kind support of the Hermann J. Abs Foundation

The Rahel Talts Quartet is known for its fresh and unique sound on the European jazz scene. The group performs compositions by the up-and-coming Estonian jazz pianist and composer Rahel Talts. The musicians come from different countries, but met a few years ago in Denmark, where they also studied together.

The quartet’s music is best described as energetic, acoustic and melodic jazz, drawing on influences from Baltic and Nordic folk music, traditional jazz and, to some extent, pop music. Rahel enjoys combining simple, catchy, folk-inspired melodies with rich harmonies and groovy rhythms. The programme is complemented by the quartet’s own arrangements of Estonian folk songs.

In November 2025, the band released their new album 'Back and Forth', which also features the award-winning guitar virtuoso Rob Luft. The album is already attracting attention from European jazz lovers and critics alike. This followed the release of the equally well-received album 'Greener Grass' (May 2023), with which the quartet subsequently toured Europe – including Germany, France, Denmark, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – as well as Asia, including Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

The Rahel Talts Quartet has already performed at numerous prestigious festivals, including Jazz Baltica, the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Jazz à la Petite France, Nordischer Klang, Jazzkaar and many more.

Deutschlandfunk will record the concert and broadcast it at a later date.

Concert patrons: Marly and Ulrich Schlottmann

Brass instruments – they are signals, they are celebration, they are revolution. When our solo brass players set out to perform chamber music, the format reaches its limits – in the best possible sense. Here, sonic splendour and a rich variety of timbres come together in the most confined of spaces, and each time one is amazed anew at how the trumpet, horn, trombone and tuba begin to shine when experienced as a small ensemble. It is precisely this radiance that led brass ensembles early on to explore music beyond their original repertoire: from keyboard works and vocal music to orchestral pieces. There is hardly anything that does not take on a new, surprising perspective in this golden glow. An energetic start to our chamber concert season – and an evening that demonstrates just how big a small ensemble can sound.

Works by Viktor Ewald, Jan Koetsier, Johann Sebastian Bach, John Cheetham and others.

7.10 pm
Pre-concert talk with Tilmann Böttcher

The great Polish pianist Piotr Anderszewski is renowned for his profound interpretations and his highly acclaimed discography, which spans several decades. In recent years, he has focused increasingly on the music of Johannes Brahms, which he contrasts in concert with the legacy of his great role model, Beethoven.

With the kind support of the Hermann J. Abs Foundation

Every year, around 6 November – the date of his birth in 1814 – the Bonn Saxophone Ensemble dedicates a ‘monographic’ concert to Adolphe Sax and his musical invention. This time, the concert programme features musical pieces from many countries around the globe.

Adolphe Sax was a clarinettist, entrepreneur and, above all, an inventor: having already developed the bass clarinet in its present form, some 30 years later he unveiled a completely new instrument in Paris, one that has become an indispensable part of modern music – the saxophone, named after him.

As part of a ‘talk-concert’, the musicians will explain the history and technique of the instrument. They will perform on the various types of saxophone, from the sopranino to the bass.

Please note that there is no box office and tickets can only be purchased in advance via the VHS Bonn website.

The young saxophonist Soran Lind, who has Norwegian and Iranian roots, demonstrates that the saxophone has a great deal to offer in classical music too.

For over ten years, Sarah Chaksad has been making her mark on the European jazz scene with her medium-sized to large ensembles. The alto and soprano saxophonist, composer and bandleader is internationally acclaimed for her recordings and concerts. Her music combines compositional precision with emotional depth, and structural sophistication with sonic openness. With Sarah Chaksad AMELIA, the Swiss artist is now embarking on a new chapter. Etymologically, the name ‘Amelia’ dates back to Old Persian and is often associated with meanings such as strength, courage, vigour or effectiveness. Applied to Chaksad’s music, AMELIA stands for an active, alert engagement with the world: for music that takes a stand without becoming rigid, that allows for emotion without becoming sentimental, and that does not shy away from complexity but makes it a sensory experience. Chaksad’s compositions are powerful yet sensitive, rhythmically incisive, melodically fluid and rich in surprising twists.

It is where Chaksad’s carefully constructed structures meet the individual musicians’ styles that the music unfolds its very special energy. AMELIA stands for music that springs from the present and has an impact on it – bold, clear and full of great inner tension.

Deutschlandfunk will record the concert and broadcast it at a later date.

Concert patrons: Marly and Ulrich Schlottmann

Mirko Roschkowski is not only a celebrated Lohengrin and Hoffmann on the opera stage, but also a lieder singer deeply influenced by poetry. The tenor, who is very popular with opera audiences in Bonn, has dedicated his programme to the poems of Heinrich Heine, whose poetry has been a source of inspiration for many composers.

Heine songs by Clara and Robert Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Johann Vesque von Püttlingen and Hans Pfitzner

Through a masterfully balanced interplay of comedy, romantic landscape and subtle social satire, the film stands as a milestone in film history. The spectacular outdoor scenes, such as the ludicrous train journey through the wilderness, are still regarded today as an outstanding example of cinematic engineering. With his trademark moments of surprise and subtle slapstick humour, Buster Keaton has the audience laughing and marvelling!

The two bass trombonists, who are scholarship holders of the Studienstiftung, have a mission: to free their instrument from its reputation as a sluggish orchestral instrument and to present it in a new light as a solo instrument. With their varied programme, which ranges from original compositions to exciting arrangements, the pair take the audience on a journey of discovery through the ages.

In collaboration with the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes

The programme explores contrasts that come together in dialogue, thereby leading to greater insight and peace. The ‘Kreutzer’ Sonata still feels like a concert piece, whilst at the same time questioning its own impact. The Cello Sonata in A major, by contrast, focuses on closeness, love and personal happiness. These feelings continue in the trios: the musical dialogue is conducted by three – at times tender and calm, at times bold and forward-pressing, as a search for inner peace.

The programme explores contrasts that come together in dialogue, thereby leading to greater insight and peace. The ‘Kreutzer’ Sonata still feels like a concert piece, whilst at the same time questioning its own impact. The Cello Sonata in A major, by contrast, focuses on closeness, love and personal happiness. These feelings continue in the trios: the musical dialogue is conducted by three – at times tender and calm, at times bold and forward-pressing, as a search for inner peace.

Supported by: The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media

A Christmas experience for the whole family:
To mark Beethoven's baptism day on 17 December, violinist and President of the Beethoven-Haus Daniel Hope will guide the audience through a magical programme filled with music and Christmas-themed texts. The programme will feature cheerful and festive pieces as well as enchanting and contemplative ones – the perfect way to get into the spirit of the approaching Christmas season! Featuring accordion star Martynas Levickis, soprano Tanja Christine Kuhn and the Belgrade Chamber Orchestra under its music director Daniel Geiss.

With kind support:
Sparkasse KölnBonn
Deutsche Telekom

A Christmas treat for the whole family: to mark the anniversary of Beethoven’s baptism, violinist and President of the Beethoven-Haus Daniel Hope will guide us through a magical programme. The concert will feature cheerful and festive pieces as well as enchanting and contemplative works – a wonderful way to get into the spirit of the approaching Christmas season!

Sachiko Furuhata, who was born in Yokohama, made her debut at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2017 to a standing ovation. Since then, she has appeared as a guest artist at various major concert halls, including the San Francisco Herbst Theatre, Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, the Berlin Philharmonie and the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg. As a soloist, she has performed with orchestras such as the Russian State Philharmonic and the German Radio Philharmonic.

Alexey Botvinov was born in Odessa and is now the most renowned contemporary Ukrainian pianist. In 2015, he and his wife Elena founded the 'Odessa Classics' music festival, which he successfully established with more than 60 concerts held between 2020 and 2026 in Estonia, Greece, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Belgium and Switzerland. In addition to numerous international honours, including 'Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy' and the ‘Swiss Wilhelm Tell Award 2020', he was awarded the Platinum Medal of the Société académique ARTS-SCIENCES-LETTRES in Paris in 2024 and was honoured in November 2025 with the Cross of Merit on Ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. Alexey Botvinov is a 'People's Artist of Ukraine', the highest honour for artists in Ukraine.

In collaboration with the Beethoven-Haus in support of the 'Foundation Helps Ukrainian Artists' project.

The South African soprano Golda Schultz is regarded internationally as one of the most interesting and exciting voices of her generation. She is equally at home in major operatic roles and as a soloist with the world's leading orchestras. She is praised for her 'warm tone and sensitive phrasing' and has also made a name for herself through her exceptional recitals.

The Beethoven27 project by Jan Caeyers and Kit Armstrong, featuring a series of guided performances of 27 of Beethoven's key works in 27 European cities, concludes with a chamber music programme centred on the 'immortal Beloved'.

Featuring piano works by Ludwig van Beethoven

Alexander Lifland and Roman Salyutov have been devoting themselves intensively for several years to the great Erich Wolfgang Korngold, whose work was long and unjustly neglected. Korngold, a child prodigy the likes of which the world had perhaps not seen since Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart! He wrote his first operas as a teenager, was forced to flee from the Nazis, and when he returned to Europe, he was, firstly, typecast as a film music composer and, secondly, his once progressive style had become outdated. It is only in recent years that we have been rediscovering his infinitely colourful and sensual music. Alongside this, Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet will be performed – one of the most significant works by Bonn’s 'other' composer. Two masterpieces of chamber music, almost symphonic in scope, which demonstrate just how rich in contrast and intense the interplay between piano and string instruments can be.

7.10 pm
Pre-concert talk with Tilmann Böttcher

Each in their own right is a experience in itself; together, they form a truly special duo: the renowned Spanish pianist Daniel Garcia and the acclaimed Swiss singer Andreas Schaerer create an unforgettable musical world. With his deep roots in flamenco and classical music, Garcia’s playing is characterised by technical mastery as well as soulful expression. Andreas Schaerer is a vocal artist like no other. With a seemingly boundless range and the ability to use his voice as a versatile instrument, he moves seamlessly between genres. These two are a perfect match: without any preconceptions, they navigate a wide variety of musical genres, demonstrating the utmost in musical wit and spontaneity. Wherever Andreas Schaerer performs, the halls are packed and the audience is regularly sent into raptures. He not only astounds with his virtuosity, but also possesses an enormous stage presence. Daniel García first studied classical piano before being introduced to the secrets of jazz by Danilo Pérez in New York. He is regarded as one of the most original and influential voices of the new generation of Spanish jazz. In 2024, Schaerer and García Diego were nominated as 'European Jazz Musicians of the Year' by the renowned French Jazz Academy.

Deutschlandfunk will record the concert and broadcast it at a later date.

Concert patrons: Marly and Ulrich Schlottmann

The pianist Magdalene Ho first came to international attention in 2023 when she won the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition. Since then, she has captivated audiences on international stages with her profound and expressive playing. Her programmes are heavily influenced by literature, as is the case in Bonn, where she drew inspiration from E.T.A. Hoffmann's 'The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr'.

The ensemble was founded in 2015 as a labour of love by the musicians involved. By combining the experience of internationally touring soloists and orchestral musicians, they create a distinctive sound and a wonderful harmony of expression.

Presented by the Curtis Institute of Music

Honoured with the OPUS KLASSIK 2025 award for 'Instrumentalist of the Year' Antje Weithaas is one of the most distinguished artists of our time. She is dedicating her concert to the music of Johannes Brahms and his musical circle – including a work by the Swiss composer Robert Gund, who was active in Vienna at the turn of the 19th century.

The two pianist brothers, Lucas & Arthur Jussen, certainly have a sense of humour. And plenty of talent! For over ten years, they have been delighting audiences as a piano duo with their light-as-a-feather playing, their joy in making music and their engaging manner. The most difficult passages seem effortless under their fingers, their sound so homogeneous that they appear to be a single person. In their recital, the brothers draw on the full breadth of their repertoire and its rich variety: delicate sounds in Johann Sebastian Bach's chorale arrangements and children's pieces by Gabriel Fauré, powerful virtuosity in Brahms and Lutosławski, rhythmically intricate and jazzy sounds in Hanna Kulenty's 'VAN …' and in Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. A perfect programme for a perfect evening!

Works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Gabriel Fauré, Johannes Brahms, Witold Lutosławski, Hanna Kulentys and George Gershwin.

With the kind support of:
Deutsche Telekom

The musical collaboration between the acclaimed British pianist and composer Gwilym Simcock and the up-and-coming saxophonist and composer Emma Rawicz is characterised by a particular depth and freedom. Emma and Gwilym have composed pieces for one another and worked together on arrangements, drawing on the many musical influences they share. The great success of this musical project soon led them into the studio. Their debut album is due to be released by ACT in November 2026.

Their collaboration is a fascinating cross-generational encounter, yet at the same time perhaps simply a natural progression: both received a similarly thorough education in classical music and jazz at the renowned Chetham's School of Music in Manchester and the Royal Academy of Music in London. Both are eager to see where their shared musical adventure will take them as a firmly established ensemble. Their passion for rousing, energetic and joyful music is ever-present in their programmes.

Deutschlandfunk will record the concert and broadcast it at a later date.

Concert patrons: Marly and Ulrich Schlottmann

The multi-award-winning pianist Anna Pismak, who was trained in St Petersburg, Zurich and Berlin and is supported by Sir András Schiff, performs internationally as a soloist and is an artistic assistant at the Zurich University of the Arts.

In collaboration with Sir András Schiff's Building Bridges programme

Filippo Gorini, winner of the 2018 International Telekom Beethoven Competition and recipient of the Beethoven Ring, is always a welcome guest at the Beethoven-Haus and the Bürger für Beethoven in Bonn. Even at such a young age, this engaging artist performs the outstanding works of the piano repertoire with great mastery – a concert in a class of its own!

With the kind support of the Lions Club Bonn.

Supported by: The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media

Supported by: The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media

Venue: Beethovenhalle, Main Hall

Supported by: The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media

Beethoven Hall, Studio

In collaboration with Bürgern für Beethoven e.V.
Supported by: The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media

A few days before the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's death, one of his monumental late string quartets takes centre stage at our chamber music concert. It is a work that unsettled his contemporaries and, through its immense scale, heralded a new era in professional chamber music. Composers continue to grapple with this legacy to this very day.

How could it have been any different for the young Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy? His Quartet in A minor would be inconceivable without Beethoven's late musical language; it transforms that legacy in a most felicitous and fresh manner. Two works in A minor come together, offering performers and audience alike a musical mountain hike – with the pure, glistening snowfields of Arvo Pärt's Da pacem Domine serving as a peaceful bridge between them.

7.10 pm
Concert introduction with Tilmann Böttcher

Andreas Staier, an honorary member of the Beethoven-Haus, could be described as a passionate seeker of sound. Together with his long-standing musical colleagues, he has put together a special programme that traces the historical development of the piano trio and highlights Beethoven's musical roots.

With the kind support of the H. J. Abs Foundation

'I love surprising people!' And people love her for it: Anna Lapwood bears little resemblance to the traditional image of an organist. Millions of people tune in to her Midnight Sessions from the Royal Albert Hall and celebrate her videos on TikTok or Instagram, where she talks enthusiastically about the seemingly limitless possibilities and pitfalls of her instrument. Pirates of the Caribbean on the organ? No problem for the petite British musician, who also makes it clear in her videos just what artistic feats are involved in organ playing – feats that normally take place hidden away in the organ loft. We are absolutely thrilled to be able to experience this exceptional musician live at the Beethovenhalle in Bonn!

With the kind support of:
Deutsche Telekom

This programme explores the question of how Beethoven’s ideas continue to influence us today. The focus is on the character of Leonore from 'Fidelio', who stands for freedom and the struggle against oppression. Arnold Schoenberg later took up these ideas in his 'Ode to Napoleon'. Thinkers such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Friedrich Hölderlin also shaped this era. Beethoven used these influences to create a new musical language that still feels modern today.

Supported by: The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media

'Colin Pütz's piano playing combines technical brilliance and expressiveness with a touching naturalness. It is as though the music speaks through him – not staged, not memorised, but coming from the very depths of his being. [...] Whether Beethoven or Chopin, Bach or Schubert – he finds a truth of his own in every phrase,' said pianist and curator Rudolf Buchbinder at the presentation of the prestigious Swiss piano prize, the Prix Serdang 2025, to Colin Pütz.

As the first Baltic pianist to establish himself among the international elite of classical music, Latvian-born Georgijs Osokins is celebrated for his diverse repertoire and his commitment to the rich musical heritage of the Baltic region. He will demonstrate this once again in his debut concert in Bonn with a dazzling programme – we can't wait!

The duo Runge and Ammon will be presenting their new programme to audiences in Bonn, which they will have recorded on CD in November 2026.

Another programme to mark the Beethoven Year: in Johannes Brahms's First String Quartet, one can sense the echo of Beethoven. The 'giant', as Brahms called Beethoven, lingers in every line, and yet Brahms manages to create something of his own: he navigates between tradition and his own personal voice, between rebellion and resignation, between boundless energy and soothing beauty.

Beethoven's Quartet in C-sharp minor was composed half a century earlier – a work that was radical for its time, in which each movement has its own voice and the structure feels like a living organism.

Here, two perspectives converge: the reflective quest of the young Brahms and Beethoven's visionary boldness. Two paths that show us how music transcends itself – an invitation to experience chamber music in all its intensity.

7.10 pm
Concert introduction with Tilmann Böttcher