Mitsuko Uchida, Piano

“Every day of my life that I am allowed to play Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and the music of our own time,” says piano legend Mitsuko Uchida, “is a gift from somewhere. If heaven existed, it’s heaven.” For us, to have this extraordinary musician back to perform Beethoven’s last three piano sonatas is, indeed, a musical heaven—an exquisite combination of monumental music performed by one of the most revered artists of our time. Of all of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas, the final three are especially hallowed for the astonishing emotional ground that they cover, from utter anguish to complete exhilaration, communicated through breathtaking virtuosity. To hear Beethoven’s final thoughts on the piano sonata as a genre in Uchida’s venerated hands is a defining moment in PUC’s 129-year history.