PIANO DIALOGUES
Words Fail
The celebrated pianist hailed for his “impeccable taste and a formidable technique” (The New Yorker) and “probing, incisive, and deeply considered performances” (SF Classical Voice) mines music’s power to express sentiments and feelings beyond the limits of language with an evening of works by Mendelssohn, Janáček and Kurtág, culminating in Schumann’s beloved Fantasie in C Major.

FELIX MENDELSSOHN – Songs without Words (selections)
LEOŠ JANÁČEK – Words Fail!
GYÖRGY KURTÁG – Quiet Talk with the Devil
GYÖRGY KURTÁG – Silence
AMY BETH KIRSTEN – (speak to me)
ROBERT SCHUMANN – Ghost Variations, WoO 24
ROBERT SCHUMANN – Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17

Jonathan Biss is a 2025-26 Kaufman Music Center Artist-in-Residence.