Klaus A. Becker began his musical training at the local conservatory in his native Germany at the age of nine. By age thirteen—and totally consumed by playing the piano as if it were the last thing he would do—Klaus performed his first public concert. Even at that young age, he knew that sharing music with others, and touching their souls, was his passion and what he wanted to do in life. Ultimately, Klaus won prizes at Germany’s “Jugend Musiziert” contest, thus opening the doors to graduate music education—and the promising career as a solo pianist that followed.
Klaus’ passion for sharing his music would have continued on its predetermined path, were it not for his exposure to the realities of the human condition in Third World countries, under the guidance of his physician friend and mentor. What he saw prompted Klaus to funds for relief aid through his music performances. He soon realized, however, that he was being called to a more active participation. Thus, he began to study medicine, which ultimately led him to venture into the field of scientific research. Earning his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Massachusetts, Klaus’ education led him to contribute to virology and breast cancer research. As an established scientist, he was at the forefront in unveiling the secrets of human embryonic stem cells. Called to laboratory research and authoring numerous scientific papers, Klaus took a two decade hiatus from public performances. But his passion for music never diminished.
However, modern times allow us to concentrate on only one or the other. While Klaus’ playing and interpretation skills were greatly influenced by teachers such as Claudio Arrau and Leonard Bernstein during the early part of his career, their messages still resounded during his time away from public performances, enabling him to grow and to mature in his piano playing. He once again found himself on the crossroad between science and music—which he is convinced go hand-in-hand. As Ludwig von Beethoven remarked in a letter to his friend, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “only science and music are the assured ways to achieve a higher state of life.” Thus, Klaus resumed his music studies with the renowned Luiz and Bridget de Moura Castro.
Today, Klaus’ repertoire concentrates primarily on the music of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms—composers to whom he feels a special connection. Not only were all three pianists themselves, but their art encompasses the versatile sound characteristics of the modern piano to the fullest with grace and style. As Klaus states, none of these artists arrived on a prepared stage. They all established themselves through trial and error—especially Beethoven, who he identifies as a great experimenter in his thirty-two piano sonatas, in which he introduces ever new styles and forms with each movement throughout the entire cycle.
It is this experimental approach that calls for a scientist to reevaluate this music. Klaus has a keen and analytical approach to composition, supported by his technical abilities and sense of touch—using even the most minuscule possibility to draw from the sound capabilities of the modern piano. In this way, Klaus promises to touch his audiences, and to move them closer to Beethoven’s vision of a “higher state of life.”
Klaus will record his debut solo CD later this year, including the Italian Concerto, BWV 971, by Johann Sebastian Bach; the Sonata in C major , Opus 2 Nr. 3, by Ludwig van Beethoven; and the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Opus 24, by Johannes Brahms.
Klaus is available for solo recitals, chamber and orchestral music concerts and festivals, and private home concerts. In addition, Klaus is available for private instructions and lectures, focusing on the injury preventive aspects of piano playing.
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Program 1
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sonata in A minor KV 310
Allegro maestosos
Andante cantabile con espressive
Presto
Franz Schubert
Impromptu E-flat major Opus 90 No. 2 D899 - Allegro
Frederick Chopin
Nocturne in C-sharp minor – Lento con gran espressione
Etude C-sharp minor Opus 10 No. 4
Johannes Brahms
Rhapsody B minor Opus 79 No. 1
Rhapsody G minor Opus 79 No. 2
Alexander Scriabin
Etude C-sharp minor Opus 2 No. 1
Moritz Moszkowski
Caprice Espagnol Opus 37
Francis Poulenc
Suite Pour Piano in C major
Presto
Andante
Vif
Program 2
Johannes Brahms
Variations on a Theme by Paganini Book I Opus 35a
Frederick Chopin
24 Preludes Opus 28
Johannes Brahms
Variations on a Theme by Paganini Book II Opus 35b
Program 3
Transcriptions of Music by Johann Sebastian Bach
Franz Liszt
Fantasy and Fugue in G-minor BWV 542
Eugen D'Albert
Passacaglia ad Fugue in C minor BWV 582
Alexander Siloti
Prelude in B-minor from the Clavier Buechlein fuer Willhelm Friedemann Bach BWV 855a
Adagio from the Sonata for Violin and Keyboard in F minor
Air from the Suite for String Orchestra No. 3 in D major
Siciliano from the Sonata for Flute and Keyboard in E-flat major BWV 1031
Leopold Godowsky
Sonata No. 3 in A minor for unaccompanied Violin BWV 1002
Fantasia - Grave
Fuga
Aria - Andante
Finale - Allegro
Program 4
Robert Schumann
Kreisleriana Opus 16
Aeusserst bewegt
Sehr innig nicht zu rasch - Intermezzo I, sehr lebhaft - Tempo I - Intermezzo II, etwas bewegter
Sehr aufgeregt
Sehr langsam
Sehr lebhaft
Sehr langsam
Sehr rasch
Schnell und spielend
Johannes Brahms
Three Intermezzi Opus 117
No. 1 Intermezzo E-flat major
No. 2 Intermezzo B-flat minor
No. 3 Intermezzo C-sharp minor
Franz Liszt
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor S.244
Etude d'execution transcendente No. 8 Wilde Jagd - Presto furioso S.139
Michael Tipett
Sonata No. 1
Allegro
Andante tranquillo
Preston
Rondo giocoso con moto
Program 5
Johann Sebastian Bach
Italian Concerto BWV 971
Allegro
Andante
Presto
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata in A major Opus 101
Etwas lebhaft and mit der innigsten Empfindung - Allegretto ma non troppo
Lebhaft, marschmaessig - Vivace alla Marcia
Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll - Adagio ma non troppo, con affetto
Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr und mit Entschlossenheit - Allegro
Robert Schumann
Arabesque in C-major Opus 18
Drei Fantasiestuecke Opus 111
C minor - Sehr rasch, mit leidenschaftlichem Vortrag
A-flat major - Ziemlich langsam
C minor - Kraeftig und sehr markiert
Franz Liszt
Ein Grosses Konzertsolo S.176
