Wirral-born pianist William Bracken performs Beethoven’s monumental Hammerklavier Sonata, plus an exploration of Chopin’s genius.

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“…courage and stamina and musicality in abundance… an ability to hold an audience in the palm of his hand…” Ivan Hewett, The Telegraph

“intelligent curiosity and expressive flair… a monumental performance…” Tim Parry, International Piano Magazine

“Formidable…” Richard Bratby, The Spectator

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This recital is produced by the charity Promote Our Pianists working together with Kettner Concerts to offer live performances to outstanding young pianists.

Often described as Beethoven’s “Everest” of piano music, and considered one of the most demanding solo works in the classical piano repertoire, the groundbreaking Hammerklavier, composed in 1817, marks a pivotal point as the composer entered his ‘late period’. At around 45 minutes, the sonata’s length and complexity challenged audiences when it was first publicly performed. The challenge remains to this day, but the work is now recognised as a masterpiece and cornerstone of the repertoire.

In the first half, a selection of works by Chopin reveals the vast and contrasting expressive range of his piano writing, from the Mazurkas, inspired by the traditional dance of his beloved Poland, to the Études, where technical studies are transformed into musical gems, and the more expansive narrative form of the Ballade. Combining intimacy, virtuosity, and poetic imagination, these works show the composer at his most personal and inventive.

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The Programme

Frédéric Chopin (1810 – 1849)

• Three Mazurkas, Op. 59
• Études, Op. 25 No. 7 “Cello” & No. 2 “Bees”
• Ballade No. 3 in Ab major, Op. 47

Interval

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)

• Piano Sonata No. 29 in Bb major, Op. 106 “Hammerklavier”

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The Artist

Pianist William Bracken’s creative voice stems from a deep fluency with the language of music itself, dissolving musical boundaries through an improvisational state of mind, curiosity, and acute contextual awareness. A visionary musician with a vast repertoire of classical masterworks and contemporary works, and equally at home in jazz and improvised music, the Wirral-born pianist has won numerous awards, including 1st Prize at the 2022 Liszt Society International Piano Competition, 1st Prize, Press Prize and Audience Prize at the 2023 Euregio Piano Award International Piano Competition, 2nd Prize at the 2023 Livorno International Piano Competition, and 3rd Prize at the 2024 UniSA International Piano Competition. He currently holds a position as a member of teaching staff in the Centre for Creative Performance and Classical Improvisation at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, and is the recent founder and artistic director of the Port Sunlight International Piano Festival.

Concert highlights include concerto performances at the Barbican, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, St John’s Smith Square, and recitals at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in New York, Chipping Campden Festival, LSO St Luke’s, and Wigmore Hall, where he was praised by The Telegraph for his “courage and stamina and musicality in abundance” and “an ability to hold an audience in the palm of his hand.” He is also active as a core member of the improvisation group Ensemble+ and bandleader of the Will Bracken Trio.

Bracken has collaborated with conductors such as Nicholas Collon (Aurora Orchestra) and Domingo Hindoyan (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic), and his chamber partners have included Michael Barenboim, Angela Hewitt, and Jonathan Aasgaard. During his studies in London, William was made a scholar of the Imogen Cooper Music Trust, which involved participating in a week of intensive study in the south of France with Dame Imogen Cooper. He also won a full scholarship to attend the Aspen Music Festival and School in Colorado, USA, in 2022, studying with Hung-Kuan Chen and Fabio Bidini.