2027 marks 200 years since Beethoven’s death, and pianist Marc-André Hamelin, back in Amelia Island after last season’s appearance with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, marks the occasion with cellist Johannes Moser in a program spanning four of Beethoven’s five cello sonatas. From the early Op. 5 to the late Op. 102, it’s a journey through one composer’s entire creative life in a single evening.
Program
*This all-Beethoven program will run approximately 2 hours, including a 15-minute intermission
Cello Sonata No. 4 in C major, Op. 102, No. 1
Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
Cello Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5 No. 2
Cello Sonata No. 5 in D major, Op. 102, No. 2
Johannes Moser, cello
Hailed by Gramophone magazine as “one of the finest among the astonishing gallery of young virtuoso cellists,” German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser has performed with the world’s leading orchestras, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, BBC Philharmonic at the Proms, London Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and Tokyo NHK Symphony. He has collaborated with conductors including Riccardo Muti, Lorin Maazel, Mariss Jansons, Valery Gergiev, Zubin Mehta, Christian Thielemann, Pierre Boulez, Paavo Järvi, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and Gustavo Dudamel.
His recordings of concertos by Dvořák, Lalo, Elgar, Lutosławski, Dutilleux, Tchaikovsky, Thomas Olesen, and Fabrice Bollon have earned the prestigious Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik and the Diapason d’Or. His 2022 album Alone Together, featuring six new commissions for electric cello, was praised by The Strad for its ambition and innovative use of Dolby Atmos technology.
Highlights of the 2025–26 season include performances with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, New World Symphony, and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, as well as a trio tour with Andrei Korobeinikov and Vadim Gluzman.
A dedicated chamber musician, Johannes has collaborated with Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Jonathan Biss, James Ehnes, Leonidas Kavakos, Midori, Menahem Pressler, and Yevgeny Sudbin, and appears regularly at the Verbier, Schleswig-Holstein, Gstaad, Kissinger, Colorado, Seattle, and Brevard music festivals.
Renowned for expanding the reach of classical music and championing contemporary repertoire, Johannes has commissioned works by leading composers including Julia Wolfe, Ellen Reid, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Detlev Glanert, Chris Cerrone, and Annie Gosfield. Throughout his career, he has paired performances with masterclasses, school visits, and pre-concert lectures.
A prizewinner at the 2002 International Tchaikovsky Competition and recipient of the 2014 Brahms Prize, Johannes Moser performs on a 1694 Andrea Guarneri cello from a private collection.
Marc-André Hamelin, piano
Pianist Marc-André Hamelin, hailed by The New York Times as a “performer of near-superhuman technical prowess,” is acclaimed worldwide for his unrivaled musicianship, brilliant interpretations of the standard repertoire, and fearless exploration of rarely performed works of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. He performs regularly with the world’s leading orchestras and conductors and appears in recital at major concert halls and festivals across the globe.
An exclusive recording artist for Hyperion Records, Hamelin has released more than 90 acclaimed recordings spanning solo, orchestral, and chamber repertoire. Recent releases include Found Objects / Sound Objects, Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata and Sonata in C Major, Op. 2, No. 3, and the Dvořák and Florence Price quintets with the Takács Quartet.
Also a distinguished composer, Hamelin has written more than 30 works. His compositions are published by Edition Peters, and his 2024 album New Piano Works showcases nine of his own compositions. The New York Times praised the recording, writing, “His previous offerings of his own music were rich, but his latest self-portrait album is on another level.”
Among his many honors are a Lifetime Achievement Award from the German Record Critics’ Association, eight Juno Awards, 11 GRAMMY nominations, and the Jean Gimbel Lane Prize. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Québec, and a member of the Royal Society of Canada. He also teaches at the New England Conservatory of Music.