Louis Lortie, piano

 "ever immaculate, ever imaginative.” – The Times

PROGRAM

BEETHOVEN: Variations and Fugue for Piano in E-flat major, Op. 35 (Eroica Variations)

BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, Op. 106, “Hammerklavier” 

ABOUT

In 2027, the world marks 200 years since the death of Ludwig van Beethoven, a composer whose music continues to inspire with power, innovation, and profound humanity. Experience his enduring legacy and boldest ideas through the hands of a pianist celebrated for his insight, sensitivity, and virtuosity—a rare opportunity to experience the composer’s genius in its full emotional and technical range. 

From the playful ingenuity of the Eroica Variations to the monumental, transcendent grandeur of the Hammerklavier Sonata, Louis Lortie brings Beethoven’s piano masterpieces vividly to life in an unforgettable afternoon of music.

LOUIS LORTIE

Louis Lortie has earned an international reputation as a versatile musician, critically acclaimed for the fresh perspective and individuality he brings to the grand masters of the piano repertoire. In demand on five continents for more than thirty years, Louis Lortie performs with the most prestigious orchestras and in major concert halls around the world. A prolific artist, his long-standing and exclusive collaboration with Chandos Records resulted in a discography of over 45 albums featuring the pillars of piano literature. He is followed by over a quarter of a million listeners monthly on streaming platforms. 

In the UK, his long-standing relationship with the BBC, the BBC Symphony and BBC Philharmonic orchestras have resulted in numerous recordings and concerts, as well as more than ten invitations to the BBC Proms. In his native Canada, he appears regularly with all the major orchestras: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Calgary. In Germany, he appears with the WDR orchestra in Cologne, the Deutsche Sinfonieorchester Berlin, the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, the Leipzig MDR Orchestra, while in the United States, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony, San Diego Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, and New Jersey Symphony. Further afield, his collaborations include the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, China and the Ghanzou Philharmonic, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, as well as the Adelaide and Sydney Symphony Orchestras and the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo in Brazil. Discovered by Charles Dutoit, together, they played and toured extensively in the early years, Louis Lortie also regularly shared the stage with Kurt Masur during his tenure with Orchestre National de France and Gewandhaus Leipzig. Recent conductor collaborations include Edward Gardner and Sir Andrew Davis, with whom he has recorded extensively, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Jaap Van Zweden, Simone Young, Antoni Wit and Thierry Fischer. 

In recital and in chamber music, Louis Lortie regularly performs at Wigmore Hall in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall, and the Chicago Symphony Hall. He is particularly sought after for his integration of the Years of Pilgrimage of Liszt in one evening, the Etudes of Chopins (complete) in one evening, or his cycles of Beethoven sonatas; the latest one was filmed at the Salle Bourgie in Montreal and broadcast on Medici TV. For more than twenty years, with Hélène Mercier, the Lortie-Mercier duo has brought new perspectives on the repertoire for four hands and two pianos in concert as well as their numerous recordings. 

Louis Lortie is an internationally acclaimed pianist whose extraordinary career has taken him from his debut with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at just 13 years old to the world’s most prestigious concert stages. With more than 45 recordings spanning composers from Mozart to Stravinsky, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, and beyond, Lortie has established himself as both a master of the classical repertoire and a champion of new musical discoveries.

Beyond performing, he is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of musicians through mentorship and his work as co-founder and Artistic Director of the LacMus Festival on Lake Como. His remarkable career has earned him numerous honors, including the Officer of the Order of Canada and Chevalier of the Ordre national du Québec.