Well-known for presenting unique and remarkable piano series, pianist and conductor Ian Hobson now embarks on an ambitious five-year cycle juxtaposing the works of two musical giants: Schubert and Rachmaninov. The inaugural recital is slated to take place on Friday evening, November 13, 2026, 7 pm, at New York’s St. Peter’s Church on 54th Street and Lexington Avenue.
The series is planned to span across five years. Mr. Hobson will launch the series with a recital named “Sonatas, Small and Great,” which showcases two sonatas by Schubert and two Rachmaninov piano sonatas. The full program continues:
Sonatas, Small and Great
Franz Schubert, Piano Sonata in A major, D 664
Sergei Rachmaninov, Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 28
Intermission
Franz Schubert, Piano Sonata in A minor, D. 784
Sergei Rachmaninov, Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 36 in B-flat minor (1913 version)
“The idea of juxtaposing two of my favorite composers, Frank Schubert and Sergei Rachmaninov, has long appealed to me,” wrote Mr. Hobson. “Arguably, the two greatest melodists of their respective centuries, they have often been favored or eschewed by major pianists because of ephemeral tastes and fashions. They were both misunderstood and underestimated in their times. The inexorable logic and rightness of their musical architecture is now recognized more than ever. I look forward to exploring the treasures, great and small, of their pianistic outputs, and reveling in their mutual abilities to make the piano sing.”
Later in this season, the series will continue with a program entitled “Fantasies Great and Small” on March 5, 2027 at 7 pm, also at St. Peter’s Church. Mr. Hobson will be joined by fellow pianist Muen Wei and violinist Andrés Cárdenes.
Fantasies Great and Small
Sergei Rachmaninov, Morceaux de Fantaisie, op. 3
(Ian Hobson, piano)
Franz Schubert, Fantasy in F Minor for piano four hands, D. 940
(Ian Hobson, Muen Wei, piano)
Intermission
Franz Schubert, Fantasie in C major, D.934
(Andrés Cárdenes, violin; Ian Hobson, piano)
Franz Schubert, Fantasie in C major, Op. 15, D. 760
(Ian Hobson, piano)
Event venue
Saint Peter's Church, Lexington Avenue, New York, NY, USA, United States
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