Written/Compiled & Reported by Chen Guanxin, MOOK Travel & Lifestyle
A groundbreaking event in Taiwan’s music scene, the “Absolutely Youthful & Passionate Beethoven” concert series, featuring all 35 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas performed in one go, will take place from March 7 to 22 across seven concerts at the Luzhou KHS Music Hall. Organized by renowned pianist Yeh Lü-na, and sponsored by KHS and Steinway & Sons, the series brings together ten outstanding young Taiwanese pianists aged between 13 and 27. Among them are top students and graduates from prestigious international music conservatories, as well as winners of international competitions. This rare platform for young Taiwanese pianists will see them collaborate to perform the complete set of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, often referred to as the New Testament of piano repertoire.
The “Absolutely Youthful & Passionate Beethoven” concert series will feature ten pianists performing all 35 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas over seven concerts. (Image provided by New Formosa Foundation)
Yeh Lü-na described this as a project that was “long in the making but quickly came together,” as performing the full cycle of Beethoven’s piano sonatas is a dream for any serious musician. The lineup includes Lin Yi-lin, 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. Lin Yi-lin, currently on faculty at the Yale School of Music, 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Before composing his famous 32 sonatas, the 13-year-old Beethoven wrote three unpublished works dedicated to the Elector of Bavaria, Frederick, known as the “Electoral Sonatas” (Kurfürsten Sonatas). Yeh Lü-na explained: “Although Beethoven indicated on the score that they were written at age 11, his father, aiming to build up Beethoven’s image as a child prodigy, had reduced his birth year by two, so they were actually composed when he was 13.” These three “Electoral Sonatas” will make their debut at the March 7 concert “From Innocence to Mature Romance,” alongside Beethoven’s latest three sonatas, creating a striking contrast. Other concerts are themed around different concepts, including “Pathétique & Tempest,” “Classical & Concise,” “Fantasy, Moonlight & Passion,” “Hero’s Death & Waldstein,” “Romanticism & Grandeur,” and finally “Pastoral, Love & Farewell.” These concerts systematically showcase Beethoven’s piano artistry, offering audiences not only thrilling performances but also a highly educational cultural experience.
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