A very lively Beethoven

The year 2027 marks another Beethoven anniversary. Following the 250th anniversary of his birth in 2020 and the 200th anniversary of the premiere of Symphony No. 9 and the Missa Solemnis in 2024, the 200th anniversary of his death is the third – and, for the time being, the last – Beethoven anniversary to be celebrated by the musical world. 'We have done everything we can to ensure that this special concert season is colourful and vibrant, and looks ahead to the unbroken relevance and fascination that emanates from Beethoven and continues to influence our present and future,' explains Malte Boecker, Director of the Beethoven-Haus, who presented the programme together with Julia Kluxen-Ayissi, Head of the Chamber Music Hall. Under the motto BTHVN2027, the audience can look forward to a host of brilliant events designed to inspire a deeper engagement with Beethoven. The anniversary programme is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, with individual concerts supported by the Hermann J. Abs Foundation. In addition, the Beethoven-Haus receives support from the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the City of Bonn and the Rhineland Regional Council.

The programme for the Beethoven anniversary features special concert events with musicians who have particularly close ties to the Beethoven-Haus. President Daniel Hope will be taking part, as will various honorary members of the Beethoven-Haus Association, including Sir András Schiff, Evgeni Koroliov and Andreas Staier. Daniel Hope will kick off the anniversary year with a Christmas concert on Beethoven's christening day, 17 December 2026, in the Beethovenhalle, organised by Beethoven-Haus GmbH. Hope has also planned a special edition of the BTHVN WOCHE chamber music festival under the motto 'TriBute to Beethoven', which will take place in March (18–20 March 2027) during the anniversary year. The celebrations will conclude on 20 March with an orchestral concert in the Beethovenhalle, featuring Daniel Hope alongside cellist Maximilian Hornung, pianist Marie Sophie Hauzel and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra performing Beethoven's Triple Concerto, Op. 56. This will be followed by Beethoven's famous Sixth Symphony, the 'Pastoral'.

The Beethoven-Haus has secured the services of the young pianist, chamber musician and conductor Anna Handler as its Artist in Residence for the anniversary season – a truly exciting artistic talent. Ever since her appointment as Conductor in Residence of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, she has been regarded as one of the most promising musicians of her generation. At the Beethoven-Haus, she will be performing in four concerts across her various artistic disciplines. Anna Handler will also be conducting the Good Friday concert marking the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's death on 26 March 2027 in the Studio of the Beethovenhalle, together with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra.

Beethoven-Haus GmbH is organising three further concerts featuring 'international classical stars' at the Beethovenhalle to mark the anniversary year: On 12 February 2027, the piano duo Lucas and Arthur Jussen will perform; on 13 April 2027, the young and already 'cult' organist Anna Lapwood will take to the stage; and the series will conclude on 5 June 2027 with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, conducted by Andris Nelsons, featuring Lang Lang on the piano and a programme consisting entirely of Beethoven's works.

In the Chamber Music Hall in the summer of 2027 (24 June to 5 July), Sir András Schiff will present a series of concerts featuring Beethoven's chamber music for violin, cello and piano trio, alongside the young musicians Stephen Waarts (violin) and Julia Hagen (cello). The pianist Evgeni Koroliov, who from 2020 to 2022 (to mark Beethoven’s 250th birthday), will devote himself on 9 October 2026 to the great work for solo piano that is still missing from the programme, the Diabelli Variations, combined with contrapuntal works by Johann Sebastian Bach. Andreas Staier, regarded as a passionate explorer of sound, has put together a special programme with his musician friends Daniel Sepec (violin) and Roel Dieltiens (cello), tracing the development of the piano trio and highlighting Beethoven's musical roots (10 April 2027).

Finally, as part of the 'Special Beethoven Days' series, the 'Beethoven27' project by conductor and Beethoven expert Jan Caeyers, featuring pianist Kit Armstrong – which has been dedicated to 27 key works in 27 European cities – will conclude with a programme focusing on Beethoven's 'Immortal Beloved' (17 January 2027).

In addition, the 2026–27 programme offers a wide variety of other concerts and events, inviting audiences to be inspired by Beethoven and classical music: Beethoven's string quartets form a central focus of the Chamber Concerts series. Guests will include the Leonkoro Quartet (4 October 2026), the Rosamunde String Quartet (29 January 2027) and the Cuarteto Casals (26 May 2027). The Cuarteto Casals will also lead the 2026 International Beethoven Masterclass, which will take place from 19 to 23 August with public rehearsals in the Chamber Music Hall. Four outstanding young quartets will take part in the course, which is sponsored by the Eva-Maria and Berthold Schneider Foundation. Another highlight promises to be the concert featuring violinist Antje Weithaas and pianist Dénes Várjon (10 February 2027). They will focus on the music of Johannes Brahms and his musical circle.

The piano recitals will feature not only Artist in Residence Anna Handler and Evgeni Koroliov, but also Pjotr Anderszewski (5 November 2026), Filippo Gorini (5 March 2027) and the Latvian pianist Georgijs Osokins (30 April 2027), who will all perform for the Bonn audience. The recital series features star soprano Golda Schultz (8 January 2027), tenor Mirko Roschkowski and baritone Konstantin Krimmel, all of whom will be performing varied programmes in the Chamber Music Hall. The carnival concert 'Schängs Schmölzje 2027' (28 January 2027) invites the audience to sing along. The three musicians from the Cologne Gürzenich Orchestra – Johannes Esser on double bass, Rudi Rumstajn on guitar and Jan Weigelt on piano – will provide the appropriately lively musical accompaniment to popular traditional carnival songs. The Young Stars series once again offers the opportunity, across seven concerts, to discover young up-and-coming artists who are at the start of promising careers. These include the young pianist Colin Pütz (25 April 2027), the Japanese quartet Integra (6 June 2027) and the bass trombonists Benjamin Joost-Meyer zu Bakum and Leonard Kutsch (6 December 2026), who are supported by the German National Academic Foundation.

Screen Concerts and Jazz Highlights

The screen concerts organised by the Beethoven-Haus in collaboration with the Förderverein Filmkultur Bonn e.V. have long been a tradition. This time, the programme features the Buster Keaton film 'Our Hospitality' from 1923 (29 November 2026) as well as light-hearted slapstick comedies for children and families (7 March 2027) – each accompanied by live music.

The four jazz concerts in the Aspekte series for the 2026–27 season once again feature a top-class line-up: the Rahel Talts Quartet from Estonia, a lively young ensemble, will be making its debut in Bonn (17 October 2026). Saxophonist Sarah Chaksad is renowned for her wonderful ensemble work and will be performing with a top-class, smaller chamber music ensemble in the Chamber Music Hall (19 November 2026), whilst the two duos, Andreas Schaerer/Daniel Garcia Diego (22 January 2027) and Emma Rawicz/Gwilym Simcock (18 February 2027), each promise particularly intense concert experiences. Deutschlandfunk will record all Aspekte concerts.

Tickets on general sale from 29 June – season tickets available until 15 September

The Beethoven-Haus offers three concert subscription packages: the Chamber Music Subscription with six concerts, the Piano Subscription with five concerts, and the Young Stars Subscription with seven concerts. Season tickets can only be ordered in writing and must be received by 15 September 2026 at: Beethoven-Haus Shop, Tickets, Bonngasse 18, 53111 Bonn; kammermusiksaal@beethoven.de. All season tickets are subject to a booking fee of €5. Orders will be processed upon receipt.

General advance sales begin on 29 June 2026. Members of the Beethoven-Haus Association and the Circle of Friends and Patrons have the opportunity to reserve tickets in advance.
During general advance sales, tickets are available as follows:
_at the Beethoven-Haus Shop, Bonngasse 21, 53111 Bonn (Mon, Wed–Sat 10am–5pm)
_via the online shop at www.beethoven.gmbh or at www.beethoven.de
_at all Eventim ticket outlets throughout Germany
_via the website www.eventim.de.

The full programme for the 2026/27 season at the Beethoven-Haus, featuring concerts, lectures and exhibitions, is available on the Beethoven-Haus website at https://www.beethoven.de/saison_26_27. A printed copy of the programme can also be sent on request.

Artist photos can be downloaded from the artists' websites. They can also be sent on request.

Contact:
Ursula Timmer-Fontani  
Head of Corporate Communications
timmer-fontani@beethoven.de; Tel. +49 228 98175-16