Projects

For Johannes, the concert is a fully curated experience from beginning to end, where the repertoire is chosen with a narrative arc or a common theme, be it musical, historical, or atmospheric. The programmes below reflect this ethos and are offered as complete, ready-to-programme proposals. Johannes is open to shaping the programmes to the specific context of a venue and in dialogue with the presenter’s vision.

Fairy Tales

Weaving stories and musical dreams
Project Details

A magical journey through enchanting narratives, woven through the artistry of composers, these works reimagine classic tales through a fresh lens and celebrate music’s power to transport listeners to other imaginary worlds. Each work becomes a sonic tapestry, blending narrative with the composer’s unique musical language.

Featuring works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Claude Debussy, Leoš Janáček, Jean Sibelius, Igor Stravinsky

 

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Echoes from the Mountain

Folk traditions meet classical form
Project Details

A vibrant journey through folk-inspired classical music from around the world, featuring works that blend traditional melodies and rhythms with classical forms, from Hungarian to Georgian, Tajik to Argentine influences.

Featuring works by Boris Arapov, Béla Bartók, Frédéric Chopin, Zoltán Kodály, Astor Piazzolla, Tolib Shakhidi, Sulkhan Tsintsadze, Heitor Villa-Lobos

 

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Reflections from the Past

Old forms, new voices
Project Details

Composers engage with historical styles and forms reimagined for their present day, from Mendelssohn’s Bach-inspired writing to Schnittke’s and Stravinsky’s neoclassicism and modern take on Baroque dance forms. (The works by Bach and Schnittke can be performed on harpsichord and cello with gut strings, depending on the venue)

Featuring works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, Alfred Schnittke, Igor Stravinsky

 

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For Piano… and Cello

Two masterpieces for piano…and cello
Project Details

Two titans of Romantic piano music, Chopin and Rachmaninov, showcase the rich musical dialogue between piano and cello. Each sonata offers a unique pianistic perspective on the piano/cello duo where the spotlight falls onto the pianist.

Featuring works by Frédéric Chopin and Sergei Rachmaninov

 

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Evolution

Solo cello travelling through time
Project Details

Led by the cellist alone on stage, this program is an exploration of the cello from baroque to modern.

Featuring works by Joseph Dall’Abaco, JS Bach, Zoltan Kodály, Gyorgi Ligeti

 

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Metamorphosis

From thematic seed to musical flower
Project Details

Musical ideas are not fixed, but alive, dynamic, and capable of remarkable evolution through time and culture. In this program, we follow how composers mould their ideas into variations and reshape themes of others in order to transform musical motifs into new and very personal works.

Featuring works by Boris Arapov, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin

 

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Dialogues

Two voices become one
Project Details

Instruments in conversation through Beethoven’s creating of an equal partnership between cello and piano, Barber’s intimate late Romanticism, and Rachmaninoff’s sublime melodies.

Featuring works by Samuel Barber, Ludwig van Beethoven; Sergei Rachmaninoff

 

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Lost and Found

Hidden in plain sight
Project Details

Rediscovering masterpieces and hidden meanings, each piece represents something lost and subsequently found — be it musical style, emotional clarity, or spiritual connection.

Featuring works by Frank Bridge, Leoš Janáček, Felix Mendelssohn, Jean Sibelius

 

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Imprints of the Great War

Music as a reflection of war: from darkness to rebirth
Project Details

Pieces written before, during, and after World War I illustrate how the conflict influenced composers and their works, reflecting the transformation of musical expression through this pivotal historical moment.

Featuring works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Frank Bridge, Gabriel Fauré, Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky

 

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Adieu

Last words
Project Details

A poignant meditation on farewell — Debussy, Chopin, and Shostakovitch battled illnesses while writing their final pieces, each offering unique perspectives on mortality and artistic legacy.

Featuring works by Frédéric Chopin, Claude Debussy, Dmitri Shostakovich

 

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1948

One year, diverging paths
Project Details

A retrospect into differing trajectories of Soviet and post-war French composers attempting to navigate political climates and pushing the boundaries of the artistic freedom allowed to them in their time.

Featuring works by Nikolai Myaskovsky, Francis Poulenc, Sergei Prokofiev

 

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Johannes Gray
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