Dear Friends of CLASSIC@HOME,

The Appassionata is one of the most beloved piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven. On May 2, this piece will be performed on the CLASSIC@HOME platform by the charismatic American pianist Katie Mahan, a Steinway Artist and recipient of the Classic Superstar award in Berlin. The concert will be held in support of Appassionata album to be released by Steinway & Sons label.

"I will take my fate by the throat; it will never bend me completely to its will.” Beethoven wrote these words in 1801 while working on his second symphony, already fearing that his progressing deafness would require a nearly superhuman fight against despair. The expression of this struggle culminates in his powerful Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, the Appassionata, a perhaps autobiographical work which contrasts demonic passion and struggle alongside intense beauty and peace, reminding us that we must never lose hope because even in tragedy one has the power to overcome. This message is uniquely pertinent in our current time!

Considered one of the most outstanding and highly versatile pianists of her generation, Katie Mahan combines the culture of two continents: her homeland, the United States, and her adopted home, Europe. When not concertizing around the world, she calls Salzburg - the home of Mozart - her home, and at this moment when the communication between musicians and audiences is limited because of COVID-19, Katie Mahan will appear on the virtual stage of the CLASSIC@HOME platform live from Salzburg! The concert will be broadcast from the stage of the OVAL - die Bühne im EUROPARK in Salzburg, an we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the administration of the Europark for assisting in the organization of the event as well as to Steinway & Sons for the beautiful instrument for the concert.

Katie Mahan is known not only for her interpretations of European classical repertoire, but also for her performance of works by her countryman George Gershwin! Stay tuned for an upcoming concert on our platform featuring her performing Rhapsody in Blue.

Enjoy the concert, and we hope to see you again at CLASSIC@HOME.

Fjodor Elesin and the CLASSIC@HOME team