In 2015 Jonathan Biss launched Beethoven/5, a commissioning project in association with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Over the course of five years, each of the five composers selected by Jonathan wrote a piano concerto in response to one of Beethoven's. Jonathan says:

Beethoven’s music has been an obsession for me for as long as I can remember. Working on it has been a constant source of joy, inspiration, and frustration. Each of Beethoven's five piano concertos is pathbreaking in its own way, and each is gloriously, unmistakably him — full of spirituality, play, and fierce conviction. These pieces are so ubiquitous, though, that it is easy to lose sight of how revolutionary — how vital — they are. One aim of this project is to put that aspect of Beethoven's music front and center. 

The project, called Beethoven/5, takes five different compositional voices — from different parts of the world and different musical traditions — and asks each of them to write a work which, in whatever way they see fit, responds to one of the Beethoven piano concerti. The varied and riveting results are a reminder that Beethoven's voice is simply too powerful to be ignored.

Participating composers: 2015-16: TIMO ANDRES, paired with Beethoven 2 2016-17: SALLY BEAMISH, paired with Beethoven 1 2017-18: SALVATORE SCIARRINO, paired with Beethoven 4 2018-19: CAROLINE SHAW, paired with Beethoven 3 2019-20: BRETT DEAN, paired with Beethoven 5 Lead commissioner on all 5 pieces: SAINT PAUL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

To read more about Beethoven/5, click here.