Beethoven by candlelight

The unique concert will take place on March 28th at Kensington United Reformed Church located in the heart of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Beethoven by candlelight is an evening where artworks of one of classical music’s greatest minds will be lightened by a flicker of hundreds of candles.

Ludwig van Beethoven is often called the most influential composer in Western music history. Born in Bonn, Germany, he was a child prodigy whose talent brought him to Vienna, where he studied with Haydn and became known for his virtuosic piano performances. But Beethoven was no mere successor — he shattered the musical norms of his day and forged a path into emotional depth, structural innovation, and spiritual intensity.

By his late 20s, Beethoven began to lose his hearing — yet he never stopped creating. In fact, many of his most celebrated works, including his symphonies, late quartets, and piano sonatas, were written when he was profoundly deaf. His resilience, vision, and defiance of limitation continue to inspire generations.

Performed by virtuoso pianist Irina Lyakhovskaya, the programme brings together iconic early works and bold chamber arrangements that highlight Beethoven’s enduring brilliance.

Join us for a night where music and history come together in a special setting!

Duration: 60 minutes (doors will open 30 mins prior to the scheduled start time and late entry is not permitted)

Age restriction: 6+

Doors open at least 30 minutes before the concert.

Out of respect for guests and performers, late entry may not be permitted. We cannot guarantee your original seats after the concert begins.

About the performer

Irina Lyakhovskaya is a highly regarded pianist performing as a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist. She has given many performances at leading international venues including the Southbank Centre, Wigmore Hall, Symphony Hall, Cadogan Hall, Kings Place and St John’s Smith Square, St Petersburg Philharmonic, Smetana Hall and Porto Coliseum and at concert clubs and festivals across the UK. In 2016 – 2020 she was an Artist in Residence at Eastbourne Arts Centre where she performed the complete Beethoven piano sonatas in a cycle of 8 concerts.

As a concerto soloist, she has performed works by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Grieg, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Skryabin and Rachmaninov. She lives in London and is a faculty member at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Born in St Petersburg, she studied with Alexander Sandler at the St Petersburg Conservatoire and with John Bingham in London.

Programme Includes:

• Sonata no 8, in C minor, op 13 Pathetique
• •    Grave - Allegro do molto e con brio
  •    Adagio cantabile
  •    Rondo: Allegro
• Sonata no 14, in C sharp minor, op 27, no 2 Moonlight
• •     Adagio sostenuto
  •     Allegretto
  •     Presto agitato
• Sonata no 23, in F minor, op 57 Appasionata
• •     Allegro assai
  •     Andante con moto
  •     Allegro ma non troppo - Presto

*The programme may be subject to changes