Víkingur Ólafsson, piano
Opus 109
It will not surprise fans of the probing, insightful pianist Víkingur Ólafsson that his newest project goes deep. Previously, he devoted an entire season of performances to Bach’s Goldberg Variations—playing the cycle for 88 concerts in total, including at Cal Performances in May 2024—because, in his words, “I wanted to know how deeply I can dive into a composition and how many different facets I can discover in it.” He won a Grammy this year for his sterling recording of that work.
Here, Ólafsson turns his attention to Beethoven’s innovative and emotive Opus 109 piano sonata, taking us on a journey of musical inspiration and influence that includes side trips through the keyboard music of Bach and Schubert, interspersed between movements.
Patron Sponsors: Jeffrey MacKie-Mason and Janet Netz
| BACH | Prelude in E major from The Well Tempered Clavier, Book I |
| BEETHOVEN | Piano Sonata No. 9 in E major, Op. 14, No. 1 |
| BACH | Partita No. 6 in E minor |
| BEETHOVEN | Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90 |
| SCHUBERT | Piano Sonata in E minor |
| BEETHOVEN | Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109 |
The Program Book will be available approximately one week before the performance.
There is a $15 per order service charge on single ticket purchases that partially underwrites the cost of our ticketing platform, credit card processing, Ticket Office staffing, and ticket delivery. To avoid this fee, tickets can be purchased in person at our Ticket Office during our regular office hours. Note: there is a $20 service charge for all subscription orders.
Video
Beyond the Stage Related Posts
* There is a $15 per order service charge on ticket purchases made by phone or online that are not part of a subscription package, and a $20 service charge on all subscription orders. There is no fee for tickets purchased in person at the Zellerbach Hall Ticket Office unless they are part of a subscription. This fee helps to underwrite the cost of providing services online and by phone, as well as programs needed for digital order delivery.
Single tickets for 2025–26 Season events go on sale at noon as follows:
July 22: Donors of $100+
July 29: Email Club and UCB Community
Aug 5: General Public