Igor Levit to perform Beethoven sonatas at WashU
The Russian-German pianist opens the university's 10th annual Great Artists Series on November 9 with four sonatas.
By Noor Rossi ·
Igor Levit will play four of Ludwig van Beethoven's piano sonatas on November 9 at Washington University in St. Louis. The performance kicks off the 10th annual Great Artists Series in the E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall. Levit, who is often cited for his interpretations of Beethoven, will open the program with Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2 No. 1. That piece was published when Beethoven was 25 years old.
The second selection is Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Op. 31 No. 2, known as The Tempest. Beethoven composed that work in 1802 while seeking medical help for his hearing loss. He reportedly suggested the name by telling listeners to read Shakespeare's play of the same name. After intermission, Levit will perform Piano Sonata No. 25 in G major, Op. 79. Muzio Clementi, a composer and piano manufacturer, commissioned that short and lively piece. Beethoven suggested calling it Sonatina or Easy Sonata.
The final piece on the program is Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53, called Waldstein. Beethoven wrote it in the summer of 1804 for an early supporter. Early biographer Wilhelm Lenz described the sonata as a heroic symphony for piano. Levit will lead the audience through these works in a concert that begins at 7:30 p.m.
Levit was born in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, in 1987. He moved to Germany with his family at age 8. He studied piano at the Hannover University of Music, Drama and Media. In 2005, he became the youngest participant in the International Arthur Rubinstein Competition in Tel Aviv. He won silver and the audience prize there. He has performed at major venues including Carnegie Hall and the Musikverein Vienna.
In 2019, Levit released a recording of all 32 Beethoven sonatas. That year, he also became a professor at his alma mater and received Gramophone Artist of the Year. He later won the Opus Klassik, Germany's top classical music award, in 2020. He is currently co-artistic director of the Heidelberger Frühling Musikfestival and helped start Piano Fest at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland.
The Great Artists Series launched in 2017 and is sponsored by the WashU Department of Music. The 2026 season continues after Levit with the Grammy-winning Imani Winds on January 31. The Viano Quartet will perform on February 21. St. Louis mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano will join Beth Guterman Chu and Christopher Cano on March 7. Norwegian fiddler Benedicte Maurseth and the ensemble Constantinople are scheduled for April 2. The season ends on April 6 with pianist Yuja Wang.
Tickets for Levit's concert cost $40 for general admission. Seniors, faculty, and staff pay $37, while students and children pay $15. The WashU Box Office sells tickets and subscriptions at 314-935-6543. The concert hall is located in the 560 Music Center at the corner of Trinity Avenue and Delmar Boulevard.
