Jeremy Denk at Colburn
April 23–26
Spend a weekend in the company of pianist Jeremy Denk, whose artistry and intellectual curiosity have made him one of today’s most compelling musical voices. A recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” Grant, Denk is praised for his “unerring sense of the music’s dramatic structure and a great actor’s intuition for timing” (Boston Globe).
Jeremy Denk’s 2026 Colburn School residency is generously supported by Dot and Rick Nelson.
Purchase the “Weekend with Jeremy Denk” package to get tickets for all four events!
The Final Sonata: Jeremy Denk on Beethoven, plus book signing
Thursday, April 23 at 7 pm
Thayer Hall
Tickets: $15 to $40
MacArthur Genius Grant-winning pianist Jeremy Denk is considered “among the most entertaining of concert pianists… insightful in his interpretations, entertaining to watch, and engaging in his stage banter” (Star Tribune). Experience his talent and charm firsthand as he leads a dynamic exploration of Beethoven’s last sonata, written at the height of his deafness. Part performance and part discussion, this engaging examination of Piano Sonata No. 32 will delve into work’s boundary-pushing orchestration, innovative musical structure, and vivid emotions.
Jeremy’s New York Times bestselling memoir Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story, in Music Lessons will be available for purchase before the concert. Get the book signed after the show! Special thanks to Vroman’s Bookstore for making this possible.
Program Information
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 32
Quintet Conversations: From Mozart to Modern, with Jeremy Denk, Piano
Featuring William May, Bassoon
Sunday, April 26 at 4 pm
Thayer Hall
Tickets: $25, $40
Jeremy Denk, a MacArthur Genius Grant-winning pianist that “you want to hear no matter what he performs” (New York Times), joins Colburn faculty and students in this program of electric quintets. Opening the concert is Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Winds, a work that masterfully balances the piano against oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon in what the composer described as “the best thing I have written in my life.” Edward Elgar’s Piano Quintet, composed in 1918 in the shadow of World War I, starts on an eerie tone before modulating towards a brighter, more symphonic end. In between these masterworks is Valerie Coleman’s Tzigane, a “passionate journey through woodwind virtuosity” inspired by Ravel’s similarly named Hungarian rhapsody for violin.
Program Information
MOZART Quintet in E-flat Major for Piano and Winds
VALERIE COLEMAN Tzigane for Wind Quintet
ELGAR Quintet in A Minor for Piano and String Quartet
Master Classes with Jeremy Denk
Pianist Jeremy Denk leads in-depth master classes with Colburn students, offering a rare glimpse into the artistic, creative, and learning processes.
PIANO
Friday, April 24 at 5 pm
Thayer Hall
Tickets: $10
CHAMBER MUSIC
Saturday, April 25 at 1 pm
Thayer Hall
Tickets: $10