Written/Compiled & Reported by Chen Guanxin, MOOK Travel Life Network
A groundbreaking event in Taiwan’s music scene, the Absolutely Youthful & Passionate Beethoven series — performing all 35 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas in one go — will take place from March 7 to 22, featuring seven concerts at the Luzhou KHS Music Hall. Planned by renowned pianist Yeh Li-na and presented by KHS and Steinway & Sons, the series brings together ten outstanding young Taiwanese pianists aged between 13 and 27. Among them are top graduates and students from prestigious international music conservatories, as well as winners of international competitions. This rare platform for young Taiwanese pianists will showcase the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas, often referred to as the New Testament of piano literature.
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The Absolutely Youthful & Passionate Beethoven series will feature seven consecutive concerts by ten Taiwanese pianists, performing all 35 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas. (Image provided by New Formosa Foundation)
Yeh Li-na described this as a project that was “long in the making but quickly realized,” as performing the complete Beethoven piano sonatas is a dream for any serious musician. The lineup includes Lin Yi-chen, Tsai Yu-shu, Huang Shi-wei, Wang Da-wei, Chen Yun-an, Hu Rong, Wang Zhao-huan, Hsu Shan-chi, Huang Yu-ting, and Huang Tzu-chia. Five of them have returned specially from the United States, Switzerland, Russia, and Germany to participate. Currently teaching at the Yale School of Music, Lin Yi-chen is the First Prize winner of the 2010 Grieg International Piano Competition in Oslo. Huang Shi-wei won first prize at the 2011 Sorantin International Competition in the United States. Chen Yun-an is currently pursuing a Performance Diploma at the Peabody Institute in the U.S., while Hsu Shan-chi is studying at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media. The youngest participants, Huang Yu-ting and Huang Tzu-chia, both from the Junior High Department of the Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University, will perform the Taiwan premiere of three of Beethoven’s “Electoral Sonatas.”
Before composing his famous 32 sonatas, 13-year-old Beethoven wrote three unnumbered pieces dedicated to Karl Theodor, Elector of Bavaria, which are known as the “Electoral Sonatas” (Kurfürsten Sonatas). Yeh Li-na explained: “Although Beethoven noted on the score that they were written at age 11, his father had reduced his birth year by two to create the image of a child prodigy, so they were actually composed when he was 13.” These three “Electoral Sonatas” will make their debut on March 7 in the concert “From Innocence to Mature Romance,” presented alongside Beethoven’s three latest sonatas to form a striking contrast. Other concerts follow diverse themes, including “Pathétique & Tempest,” “Classical & Concise,” “Fantasy, Moonlight & Passion,” “Hero’s Death & Waldstein,” “Romanticism & Grandeur,” and finally “Pastoral, Love & Farewell.” These programs systematically introduce Beethoven’s piano artistry, offering audiences not only thrilling performances but also a highly educational cultural experience.
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