H+H partners with the Massachusetts College of Art and Design to bring a juried exhibition of student artwork inspired by Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 to Symphony Hall, open during both concerts.
BOSTON | Handel and Haydn Society Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen leads the H+H
Orchestra in a showstopping season finale pairing works from the back catalogs of Mozart,
Haydn, and Beethoven at Symphony Hall on May 2 + 4. The concerts begin with selected
movements from Mozart’s only theatre score, Thamos, King of Egypt, followed by Haydn’s
Symphony No. 82, nicknamed The Bear for its playful, romping final movement. Renowned
fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout joins H+H to perform the final work of the program,
Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, an imaginative musical dialogue between solo piano and
orchestra. Bezuidenhout will also accompany as Cohen conducts the H+H Youth Choruses
Chorus of Sopranos + Altos and Chorus of Tenors + Basses in a special performance of Franz
Schubert’s “An die Sonne” to open both concerts. Tickets are available for purchase by calling
617.262.1815 or visiting handelandhaydn.org.
On view at Symphony Hall during the concerts will be the Project Beethoven Collection, a juried
exhibition of artworks created by illustration majors at the Massachusetts College of Art and
Design (MassArt) inspired by Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4. In its 13th year, this H+H and
MassArt collaboration challenges students to create a work of art in response to a selected
piece of early music. In addition to listening to the music, the aspiring artists met with H+H’s
Christopher Hogwood Historically Informed Performance Fellow, Teresa Neff to learn about the
historical context in which Beethoven composed his 4th piano concerto before creating their
visual responses. Students were also introduced to the period instruments that Beethoven knew
and composed for, and which H+H musicians play as a historically informed orchestra. The art
is for sale, with all proceeds going to each student artist. To view the Project Beethoven
Collection in advance of the concerts, please visit handelandhaydn.org/projectbeethoven.
“Our season finale promises an evening of musical surprises and meaningful connections with
H+H,” said H+H Acting CEO Lilee Dethchan-Beltran. “We’re thrilled to welcome celebrated
keyboardist Kristian Bezuidenhout back to the H+H stage, as well as our talented middle and
high school aged Youth Choruses singers. Adding a unique visual dimension, MassArt student
artists will present their creative interpretations of Beethoven’s piano concerto, offering
audiences a fresh and inspiring perspective.”
Gramophone calls Kristian Bezuidenhout’s recording of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 “one
of the finest, most deeply perceptive and thrilling performances of [the piece] on record.” He is
one of today’s most notable keyboard artists, equally at home on the fortepiano, harpsichord,
and modern piano. Born in South Africa, Bezuidenhout began his studies in Australia and
completed them at the Eastman School of Music in New York. He is a regular guest soloist with
the world’s leading ensembles including Freiburger Barockorchester, Orchestre des Champs
Elysées, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Chicago
Symphony Orchestra, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
Concert Information
The Handel and Haydn Society presents Beethoven, Mozart + The Bear at Symphony Hall (301
Massachusetts Avenue, Boston) on Friday, May 2 at 7:30pm and Sunday, May 4 at 3:00pm.
Prior to the May 2nd performance, H² members, H+H’s community for young adults ages 21-40,
are invited to join a backstage tour to learn about the history and architectural features of
Symphony Hall. Immediately following the May 4th performance, all concert goers are invited to
attend a reception to celebrate the tenure of retiring H+H President and CEO David Snead.
Individual tickets to Beethoven, Mozart + The Bear and subscription packages for the 2025-26
Season are now on sale at handelandhaydn.org or by calling the H+H Box Office at
617.262.1815.
Musically Speaking
Forty-five minutes prior to each performance all guests are welcome to attend “Musically
Speaking” in Higginson Hall. Hosted by H+H’s Christopher Hogwood Historically Informed
Performance Fellow, Teresa Neff, “Musically Speaking” provides background and context about
the music and composers on the program. In addition, concert goers can enjoy a period
instrument demonstration in the main corridor off the Massachusetts Ave. entrance 30 minutes
prior to each performance.
About the Handel and Haydn Society
Boston’s Grammy-winning Handel and Haydn Society performs Baroque and Classical music
with a freshness, a vitality, and a creativity that inspires all ages. Called “one of the most exciting
ensembles of historically informed performances in the world” (OperaWire), H+H has been
captivating audiences for 210 consecutive seasons (the most of any performing arts
organization in the United States), speaking to its singular success at welcoming new audiences
to this extraordinary music, generation after generation.
H+H performed the “Hallelujah” Chorus from Handel’s Messiah in its first concert in 1815, gave
the American premiere in 1818, and ever since has been both a musical and a civic leader in
the Boston community. During the Civil War, H+H gave numerous concerts in support of the
Union Army (H+H member Julia Ward Howe wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”) and on
January 1, 1863, H+H performed at the Grand Jubilee Concert celebrating the enactment of the
Emancipation Proclamation. Two years later, H+H performed at the memorial service for
Abraham Lincoln.
H+H’s Orchestra and Chorus delight more than 76,000 listeners annually through concerts at
Symphony Hall and other leading venues as well as radio broadcasts. Through the Karen S.
and George D. Levy Learning and Education Program, H+H supports seven youth choirs of
singers in grades 2–12 and provides thousands of complimentary tickets to students and
communities throughout Boston, ensuring the joy of music is accessible to all. H+H provides
deeply discounted tickets and hosts special events for undergraduate students and
concertgoers under 40 through the H+H Masterpass and H² membership programs. H+H has
released 16 CDs on the CORO label and has toured nationally and internationally. In all these
ways, H+H fulfills its mission to inspire the intellect, touch the heart, elevate the soul, and
connect all of us with our shared humanity through transformative experiences with Baroque
and Classical music.