Aria Da Capo | Rachel Breen performs Beethoven, Stravinsky and Bach

Laureate of the Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition 2025, American pianist Rachel Breen presents a diverse piano recital

"truly show-stopping" The Gramophone

American pianist Rachel Breen’s interpretations are overflowing with intelligence and character. She is offering us a piano recital that shows off the piano’s extraordinary potential for colour and virtuosity. The recital begins with Beethoven’s introspective Piano Sonatas Opus 109 and Stravinsky’s fiendishly difficult piano arrangements from Petroushka followed by Bach’s magnum opus for the keyboard, The Goldberg Variations.

Repertoire:

Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major op. 109 (20 minutes))
Stravinsky Trois Mouvements de Petrushka (18 minutes)
(interval)
Bach Goldberg Variations BWV 988(45 minutes)

American pianist Rachel Breen’s performances have been described as “truly show-stopping” (Gramophone UK), having “a beautiful piano sound and original detail.” She is a student of the late Lars Vogt at Hannover's Hochschule für Musik; previously, she completed degrees at Yale University and the Juilliard School under--respectively--Boris Slutsky and Julian Martin. Breen was self-taught until age 10, when she began lessons with Dr. Sharon Mann at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She is indebted to the Imogen Cooper Music Trust, of which she is a 2024-25 scholar.

Laureate of the 2025 Queen Elisabeth Competition, Breen has also been awarded top prizes at Premi Iturbi (2023), the Hans von Bülow International Competition (2023), the Bösendorfer International Competition (2023), the Honens International Piano Competition (2022), the Beethoven International Competition in Vienna (2021), and the Georges Cziffra International Competition (2019), among others. She was selected as the 2021-23 National Federation of Music Clubs’ Young Artist in the US, and received the 2021 Kurt Alten Prize at her university in Germany.

Her most recent concert seasons have featured guest artist appearances at the Chautauqua Institute, Sarasota Music Festival, Festival Piano aux Jacobins, Southeastern Piano Festival, The San Francisco International Piano Festival, the Beethovenfest in Bonn, Merkin Hall for IKIF, Festival Liszt en Provence, and Fazioli Hall's Concert Series. She is featured in the 2021 podcast 30 Bach in a discussion and performance of the Goldberg Variations.

Aside from piano, Breen has an interest in languages, having received first prize on the National Latin Exam and third prize on the National French Exam. She spends her spare time running, exploring philosophy and visual arts, and forgetting to answer important emails.

Pre-Concert Dining

Available in the National Liberal Club's main Dining Room. A two-course express menu, priced at £29, will be available from 5.00 pm to 6.30 pm before the concert. Highly recommended! Bookings must be made directly with the Dining Room in advance of the concert day. Please email dining@nlc.org.uk or telephone 020 7968 0924 and quote "Kettner Concert". Guests are asked to adhere to the Club’s dress code should they wish to dine.