Gallery
Transforming Liszt
Transforming Liszt presents the music of Franz Liszt in constant motion between original compositions, transcriptions, paraphrases, and contemporary creation. Brothers Eduard and Johannes Kutrowatz bring to Bratislava a unique artistic perspective deeply connected with Raiding, Liszt’s birthplace and one of the most important centres dedicated to preserving his musical legacy. As artistic directors of the Franz Liszt Festival in Raiding, they have long shaped its artistic vision and programming.
Liszt’s symphonic imagination and Hungarian inspirations are transformed into the sound world of two pianos, entering into dialogue with the music of Eduard Kutrowatz and the jazz language of Dave Brubeck. The concert presents Liszt’s legacy as a living tradition—one that continually inspires new interpretations, fresh artistic connections, and remarkable musical encounters.
Programme
- Franz Liszt: Orpheus, Symphonic Poem in a Version for Two Pianos
- Franz Liszt / Eduard Kutrowatz: Consolations for Two Pianos
- Franz Liszt / Eduard Kutrowatz: Liszt Paraphrases for Two Pianos
- Eduard Kutrowatz: In Red, a Dialogue on Croatian and Hungarian Themes for Two Pianos
- Dave Brubeck / Eduard Kutrowatz: Selection of Jazz Arrangements for Two Pianos
- Franz Liszt: Rákóczi March in a Version for Two Pianos
Performers
Piano duo Kutrowatz
“The delicacy of their interpretation cannot be praised highly enough… brilliant playing by two exceptional brothers” … “between meditation and ecstasy” … “a blazing stream of sound from two pianos” … “pure musicianship combined with temperament and intelligence” … “when they perform together, they seem to become one” … “an outstanding piano duo!”
– selected excerpts from international reviews.
The two brothers first studied piano at the Joseph Haydn Conservatory in Eisenstadt with Uwe Wolff before continuing their studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Johannes also studied clarinet with Peter Schmidl and conducting with Karl Österreicher, while Eduard specialized in all areas of percussion performance under Richard Hochrainer and Walter Veigl. Their first inspiration to study the original repertoire for piano four hands and two pianos came from their teacher Renate Kramer-Preisenhammer. Today, Eduard and Johannes Kutrowatz both teach at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.
Their artistic development as a piano duo received decisive inspiration during masterclasses in Freiburg with Karl Ulrich Schnabel—the son of the legendary Artur Schnabel, a renowned specialist in piano duo performance and modern pedal technique, who at the time led Europe’s only masterclass dedicated to this discipline—and in Lockenhaus with Franz Rupp, the distinguished piano partner of the legendary violinist Fritz Kreisler. Their first international success came in 1986 at the competition in Stresa, Italy, where they won First Prize in the piano duo category. Numerous further awards and distinctions followed, including the Burgenland Art Prize, the Theodor Kery Foundation Award, the Grand Decoration of Honour and the Commander’s Cross of Burgenland, the EUROPAN Award 2017, and in 2019 the Franz Liszt Honorary Prize (Franz-Liszt-Ehrenpreis) awarded by the Klassik Stiftung Weimar. Johannes Kutrowatz is also a laureate of the International Schubert Competition in Graz (1992) and a recipient of a Bösendorfer scholarship.
The brothers’ diverse musical education, their extensive artistic activities as soloists, chamber musicians, vocal accompanists and conductors, together with their lively interest in other fields of the arts, greatly enrich the depth and versatility of their musical expression. Piano duo performance also requires a constructive dialogue and continuous creative exchange of ideas—something that often comes naturally between siblings.
Concert tours have taken the Kutrowatz brothers throughout Europe, Asia (Japan and South Korea), Canada, the United States, Australia, Africa and Russia. They have appeared in many of the world’s leading concert halls, including the Vienna Konzerthaus and Musikverein, the Haydn Hall in Eisenstadt, London’s Wigmore Hall and Southbank Centre, the Centre of the Arts in Toronto, Munich’s Herkulessaal, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Carnegie Hall and the 92nd Street Y in New York. They are regular guests at internationally renowned festivals such as the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, New York Schubertiade, Ruhr Piano Festival, Kremerata Chamber Music Festival in Lockenhaus, Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland, Australia’s Kowmung Festival and the Liszt Festival Raiding. As a result, they are among the most sought-after international piano duos.
Their artistic achievements are reflected in numerous radio and television appearances as well as critically acclaimed CD recordings featuring works by Schubert, Brahms, Liszt, Strauss, Gershwin, Bernstein, Takács, Piazzolla, Sakamoto, Bach, Pärt and Brubeck. Eduard and Johannes Kutrowatz are the founders and Artistic Directors of their own international music festival, klangfruehling, held at Schlaining Castle in Burgenland, Austria (2001–2015). Since 2007, Johannes Kutrowatz has also served as Artistic Director of the Yamanakako Klangsommer Festival in Japan. Since 2009, both brothers have been the Artistic Directors of the internationally renowned Liszt Festival Raiding in Burgenland.