For his recital at the Philharmonie de Paris, piano virtuoso Evgeny Kissin highlights Beethoven’s extraordinary artistic journey: from the very first piano sonata to the spellbinding Quasi una fantasia and the Diabelli Variations, the crowning achievement of his piano output.

Evgeny Kissin, whose interpretative depth has captivated audiences since his earliest appearances, is distinguished by an exceptional command of the piano. His playing is marked by the sensual quality of his tone and the clarity of his phrasing. Beyond his remarkable technique, he brings to each work a rare expressive intensity and refinement that have become his hallmark, revealing the drama, nobility and poetry within his programmes. A long-standing artistic bond connects the pianist with Parisian audiences, a relationship that continues to grow from season to season. The “monstre sacré” of the piano returns in 2026 for a new recital at the Philharmonie de Paris, devoted to Beethoven.

From his Piano Sonata No. 1 onwards, Beethoven asserts a strikingly confident musical personality. Rooted in the Classical tradition of Haydn and Mozart, the work already hints at the energy and freedom that will define his voice. Six years later, with Sonata No. 13 Quasi una fantasia, he creates one of his most inventive scores, where the fluidity of musical thought takes precedence over classical formal constraints.

It is, however, with the Diabelli Variations that Beethoven reaches one of the absolute peaks of his output. From the seemingly trivial theme of a waltz, he builds a monumental work of extraordinary richness and inventiveness. Boldness here is matched by an exceptional range of expression, moving from exuberance to desolation, from almost savage vitality to profound melancholy. Few doubt that Evgeny Kissin, one of the leading pianists of our time, will bring this emotional kaleidoscope to life with exceptional authority and imagination.

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