Beethovenfest 2026

Matteo Cimatti will lead an evening of sonatas, performing on the violin and acting as presenter. The 26-year-old violinist from Italy, part of the Beethovenfest Talents 2026 programme, has chosen a programme of unconventional music. Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas Op. 12, of which Cimatti will play the third, were described by a contemporary critic as 'unruly' – dominated by powerful accents rather than pleasing melodies. Ravel drew inspiration from the jazz and blues of the 1920s for his spirited sonata. Prokofiev, too, loved robust themes and a rapid interplay between the instruments.