Pianist

The piano etudes by Philip Glass are modern classics. 20 pieces, sometimes meditative, sometimes rhythmic, sometimes romantic. Music that is not complicated and yet difficult to play. The famous US composer has inspired artists from almost every genre. Now ten renowned pianists from all over the world will perform the 20 etudes in the Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall – something that has never been done before in this form in Germany. A spectacular evening and an entertaining journey into the beguiling world of Philip Glass are guaranteed.

EPSG:4326

The Complete Piano Etudes by Philip Glass

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is considered a magician of sound and a master of spirituality. With his Tintinnabuli style, developed at the end of the 1970s, he broke with the musical zeitgeist and invented a compositional language that does not strive for ever greater complexity, but rather for reduction and focus on the essentials - on the true core of the music. In "Fratres", composed in 1977 as one of the first Tintinnabuli pieces, sounds of beguiling beauty emerge from forms inspired by Renaissance music and strict mathematical rules. Originally notated without any specific instrumentation and not tied to any fixed timbres, "Fratres" develops in nine variations into a hypnotic interplay of meditation and mania: a true classic of contemporary music, which Kai Schumacher places at the center of the eighth edition of his cult series "Kai Schumacher & Friends". Together with cellist Benedict Kloeckner and other musical guests, the pianist explores the minimalist structures and mystical sound worlds of Arvo Pärt and other spiritually related composers such as Philip Glass and Valentin Silvestrov.

Kai Schumacher & Friends Vol. 8

Philharmonie Mercatorhalle

By breaking rules, composers always revolutionize the way their works are perceived by their audiences. Frederic Rzewski, for example, liberated New Music from its ivory tower and made it the vehicle for his political message; John Cage declared chance a co-author and silence an integral part of his music; Steve Reich, in turn, founded a new musical movement with Minimal Music – hypnotic, pulsating, and timelessly modern. The Duisburg pianist is declaring the ninth edition of his successful Kai Schumacher & Friends format under the motto "Changing Rules," looking not only at the aforementioned visionaries of the past. Also performing this evening: the duo AFAR, who explore the paradox of naturalness and artificiality with the help of analog synthesizers, electric guitar, and voice. In this joint experiment with Kai Schumacher, they push the boundaries between classical repertoire and electronic soundscapes, between tradition and new beginnings. Where does a concert lead that knows no predefined paths? The answer lies in the moment – ​​and perhaps exactly where you least expect it.

Pianist

Kai Schumacher

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 21, 2026

Kai Schumacher & Friends Vol. 9 · Duisburger Philharmoniker

Past events

Jun 13, 2025

The Complete Piano Etudes by Philip Glass · Elbphilharmonie

Jan 31, 2025

Kai Schumacher & Friends Vol. 8 · Duisburger Philharmoniker

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