Steinway Prize Winner Jiaxin Min at the Bergson
They are probably the most difficult pieces one can play on the piano: Ludwig van Beethoven’s nine symphonies, arranged by Franz Liszt. Only a brilliant pianist—one of the greatest virtuosos of all time, like Franz Liszt—could dare to transcribe such monumental symphonic works for the piano. For what would otherwise be played by 60 or 70 musicians must here be accomplished by ten fingers. And Liszt, who knew no technical limits, let his creativity run wild. The enormous demands of these arrangements are the main reason why one virtually never gets to experience the entire cycle of all nine symphonies. To mark the 200th anniversary of the composer’s death, the Bergson Kunstkraftwerk is presenting this rarity. It will be performed by the finest young pianists of our time: Steinway Prize winners, most of whom have already performed at the Bergson and are now returning.
Jiaxin Min won rapturous applause from the audience at the 2025 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, thanks above all to her poetic, clear playing. The Chinese-born pianist is able to showcase this perfectly in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1, which is still entirely inspired by the “classical” spirit of Mozart and Haydn. It was precisely the transparency of the First Symphony that made the arrangement difficult for Liszt, who had to transpose the lightness, wit, and elegance of a classical orchestra to the piano.
The famous “Eroica,” Symphony No. 3, by contrast, has a much more powerful sound, pointing toward the Romantic era, with its monumental funeral march in the second movement.
The “Eroica” is one of Liszt’s most technically demanding Beethoven transcriptions. Massive chords, wide leaps, and dense polyphony demand nearly superhuman feats from the pianist.
Despite all the technical difficulties, Liszt never sought to show off. His goal was for the audience to forget they were hearing only a piano and instead to conjure up an orchestra in their minds. And so, in this series, you are, in a sense, always experiencing two concerts in one: you hear Beethoven—and at the same time, you experience Liszt as a brilliant interpreter who transforms a single piano into an imaginary orchestra. It is precisely this that continues to make these works so fascinating to this day.
Upcoming dates:
March 14, 2027: Seth Schultheis performs Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4
April 25, 2027: Illia Ovcharenko performs Symphonies Nos. 5 and 8
June 6, 2027: Su Yeon Kim and Jae-Yeon Won perform Symphonies Nos. 6 and 7
July 18, 2027: Su Yeon Kim and Jae-Yeon Won perform Symphony No. 9
Cast
Jiaxin Min, piano
Admission and Tickets
Doors open at 3:30 pm
Start: 4:00 pm
End: 5:15 pm
Fair-Price Ticket: 44€
This price ensures that all performers are paid fairly and can make a living from their work. If you can afford it, we’d be grateful if you’d purchase this ticket.
Social-Price Ticket: 28€
Culture costs money, but it shouldn’t exclude anyone. That’s why this ticket is intended for people with limited financial means—for whatever reason.
Support-Price Ticket: 56€
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Ticket for all five events: 175€