Sir Simon Rattle, Dame Harriet Walter and a constellation of leading musicians will come together in the new year for a landmark concert at the Barbican to celebrate the life and legacy of Alfred Brendel, the renowned pianist, writer and thinker who passed away in London in June 2025 at age 94.
Featuring a specially assembled orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, the concert brings together some of the world’s leading musicians who have been inspired and influenced by Brendel’s profound legacy. They include the pianists Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Dame Imogen Cooper, Till Fellner, Paul Lewis CBE, Sir Andras Schiff, the violinist Lisa Batiashvili, the soprano Lucy Crowe, the Takacs Quartet and Alfred Brendel’s son, the cellist Adrian Brendel.
The wide-ranging programme, from solo piano, chamber music to concerto and symphonic repertoire, is a tribute to music that have been most central to Brendel’s 60-year performing career. The evening commences with the opening movement of Haydn’s oratorio ‘The Creation’ and concludes with a complete performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 – taking in Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Liszt, Kagel, Kurtág and Ligeti.
As a homage to Brendel’s lifelong passion for sharing his experiences as a musician with younger artists, proceeds of the concerts are in support of the Alfred Brendel Young Musician’s Trust, a charity set up to support talented young musicians gain access to the finest musical instruments. Tim Horton, performing in the concert, was one of the pianists who had received support from the trust.
Adrian Brendel said, ‘This concert is a celebration of my father, a unique gathering that will bring together a remarkable group of artists who were Alfred’s friends, collaborators and students. The programme reflects his personality through the composers that most defined his life’s work. I am hugely grateful to all the artists travelling from far and wide to pay their tribute to Alfred. The concert is a testament to his inspiration for musicians and audiences around the world, and an opportunity to spotlight the work of Alfred Brendel Young Musician’s Trust, a charity that helps future generations of musicians, a legacy close to Alfred’s heart.’
Paul Lewis said, “It is an immense honour to take part in this concert in memory of Alfred Brendel – an artist whose intellect, wit, and humanity shaped and changed my life as a musician. His insight and wisdom continue to guide my ears and my hands to this day, with his wicked sense of humour never far behind. To perform here in his memory is a privilege and a small tribute to a great artist and the most generous of mentors.”
Alfred Brendel (born 5 January 1931) studied piano and composition in Zagreb and Graz, completing his studies with Edwin Fischer, Paul Baumgartner and Eduard Steuermann. Over the 60 years of his concert career, he performed numerous cycles of Beethoven’s sonatas and concertos, making the first complete recording of the piano music and took a prominent role in highlighting Haydn’s importance as a composer, establishing Schubert’s Sonatas and Schoenberg’s Concerto in the repertoire, and rekindling interest in Liszt’s piano music.
He appeared regularly at the world’s most important musical centres and festivals with the leading orchestras and conductors, and his extensive discography contributed to making him one of the most respected artists of our time. Two box sets have been released with most of his recordings: “The Complete Vox: Turnabout and Vanguard Solo Recordings” (2008) with 35 CDs and “The Complete Philips recordings” (2015) with 114 CDs including several live performances.
He received 23 honorary degrees from universities including Lisbon, Weimar, Cambridge Oxford, Yale and The Juilliard School, the Honorary Vice-Presidency of the Royal Academy of Music and a number of prestigious awards such as honorary membership in the Vienna Philharmonic, the Sonning and Siemens Prizes and the Praemium Imperiale in Japan.
Alfred Brendel’s numerous essays have been published in many languages and his collected poems have appeared in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish and Czech. Bärenreiter published his conversations with Peter Gülke on interpretation and his most recent book of essays is titled “Naivität und Ironie” (Wallstein Verlag, 2025).
Concluding his concert appearances in 2008, Alfred Brendel continued his activities with lectures (recorded by Unitel and Supraphon), readings and chamber music master classes. He devoted a significant part of his time to sharing his experiences as a musician with younger artists.
Alfred Brendel: A Musical Celebration
Date & Time: Monday 5 January 2026, 7PM
Location: Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre, Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
Tickets: £35 – £65
Performers: Sir Simon Rattle, conductor
Dame Harriet Walter, actor
Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano
Dame Imogen Cooper, piano
Till Fellner, piano
Tim Horton, piano
Paul Lewis CBE, piano
Sir Andras Schiff, piano
Lisa Batiashvili, cello
Adrian Brendel, cello
Lucy Crowe, soprano
Takacs Quartet Orchestra
