Upcoming Events
Current Exhibition
Beethoven Piano Sonatas in the Marketplace: Supply and Demand Over Two Centuries
November 10, 2025 – February 10, 2026
Exhibition Hall, 5th Floor of the Martin Luther King Jr Library
Curated by Patricia Stroh
Exhibit Hall Hours:
Monday: 10:00am-6:00pm
Tuesday: 9:45am-6:00pm
Weds: 11:00am- 6:00pm
Thurs: 9:45am-6:00pm
Friday: 11:00 am-6:00pm
Sat: 1:00pm- 6:00pm
Sunday: Closed
Please note the exhibit hall hours are not the same as the Beethoven Center's hours.
Beethoven composed his piano sonatas over a span of nearly forty years. He completed the three “Kurfürsten” sonatas, WoO 47, in 1783, when he was only twelve years old, and the last sonata, Opus 111, in 1822. As a group, the sonatas represent the remarkable evolution of his approach to composition, and individually they have inspired countless concert pianists, teachers, students, and listeners. Since Beethoven’s lifetime to the present day, no fewer than 235 collected editions of these sonatas have been published, prepared by more than 160 different editors. Why so many? This exhibit, which features a select set of these editions, highlights competing efforts of publishers to meet the demand from pianists and teachers, and editors who sought to provide new perspectives on these iconic works. The exhibit is based on the forthcoming book, Beethoven GPS: A Bibliographic Guide to Collected Editions of the Piano Sonatas by Patricia Stroh (A-R Editions, 2026)
With assistance from Peter Adams, Ethan Ling, Roslyn Lydick, and Jeffrey Nguyen
Funded by the American Beethoven Society
Beethoven Center Noontime Concert
December 4 at Noon
Beethoven Center, 5th Floor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, San Jose CA 95112
Performers: The St. Michael Trio
Program: Beethoven, Piano Trio in E-flat Major, op. 70 no. 2
All concerts take place at 12:00 and are followed by an informal coffee reception and open-house. These concerts are free to attend.
The series is made possible by generous support from the Davis Family Foundation.
Beethoven Birthday Bash
December 13 from 1 pm - 4 pm (Performance at 2 pm)
Beethoven Center, 5th Floor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, San Jose CA 95112
Performers: Daniel Cher and Erica Buurman (violins); Renée Toscan and Goetz Leonhardt, violas; Irene Herrmann, (cello)
Program:
Mozart: String Quintet in C Major K. 515 (movement 1)
Beethoven: Symphony no. 7 in A Major, arranged for string quintet by S. A. Steiner
(movement 2: Allegretto)
Beethoven: Wellington’s Victory at the Battle of Vittoria, arranged for string quintet
by S. A. Steiner (Part 2: Victory Symphony)
Join the Beethoven Center in our celebration of Beethoven's Birthday with a Beethoven open housebirthday cake and music!
Beethoven Center Noontime Concert
February 5 at Noon
Beethoven Center, 5th Floor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, San Jose CA 95112
Performers: Josephine Lee (soprano) and Grace Lee (piano)
Program: Beethoven's Lieder and his Poets
A program featuring Beethoven's settings of poems by Matthisson, Goethe, Gellert,
Rousseau, and others.
All concerts take place at 12:00 and are followed by an informal coffee reception and open-house. These concerts are free to attend.
The series is made possible by generous support from the Davis Family Foundation.
Beethoven Center Noontime Concert
March 5 at Noon
Beethoven Center, 5th Floor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, San Jose CA 95112
Performer: David Korevaar (piano)
Program:
- Beethoven, Sonata in F-sharp Major, op. 78
- Beethoven, Sonata in E Minor, op. 90
- Beethoven, Sonata in C Minor, op. 111
All concerts take place at 12:00 and are followed by an informal coffee reception and open-house. These concerts are free to attend.
The series is made possible by generous support from the Davis Family Foundation
Beethoven Center Noontime Concert
April 9 at Noon
Beethoven Center, 5th Floor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, San Jose CA 95112
Performer: Theodora Serbanescu-Martin (piano)
Lecture-performance: " Brilliant" Pianism and the New Pedagogy, with works by Hélène de Montgeroult, Johann Baptist Cramer, and Beethoven
All concerts take place at 12:00 and are followed by an informal coffee reception and open-house. These concerts are free to attend.
The series is made possible by generous support from the Davis Family Foundation
Beethoven Ball
Save the Date!
Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 7:00pm
75 South 11th Street San José Woman’s Club
The Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies and American Beethoven Society invite
you to attend the third Beethoven Ball.
Come and dance the waltzes, Ländler and contradances of the early nineteenth century Viennese ballroom to the music of Beethoven and his contemporaries. Featuring live orchestra and professional dance performances. Prof. Joan Walton (SJSU) will call the dances.
Previous dance experience is not necessary. Period costume (Regency) admired but not required.
Ticket information coming soon!
Beethoven Center Noontime Concert
May 7 at Noon
Beethoven Center, 5th Floor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, San Jose CA 95112
Performers: Yeonglee Kim (violin) and Akira Kaku (piano)
Program:
Beethoven: Romance for Violin and Orchestra No. 2 in F Major, Op. 50 (piano reduction)
Rachmaninoff: Romance in A minor for Violin and Piano
Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30 No. 3
All concerts take place at 12:00 and are followed by an informal coffee reception and open-house. These concerts are free to attend.
The series is made possible by generous support from the Davis Family Foundation.
