Hannes Minnaar

Shostakovich was amazed and overwhelmed when he heard Bach’s complete Well-Tempered Clavier again in 1950 after a long time. For him, the preludes turned out to be a gold mine of melodic invention, and the fugues miracles of contrapuntal writing. 

Bach’s mastery of his craft inspired Shostakovich to write a 24-part cycle of his own. His efforts produced one of the 20th century’s greatest piano works. Rarely have tradition and modernity been so beautifully woven together; rarely has there been a cross-pollination of such pure beauty and such technical ingenuity so brilliant. 

Hannes Minnaar, laureate of the 2010 Queen Elisabeth Competition, has immersed himself in the work of both of these masters in the last few years, making award-winning recordings of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and Shostakovich’s Preludes and Fugues. 

The pianist has now designed an inspiring dialogue between the two geniuses, especially for this opening concert. A melding of art and knowledge, it is also a tribute to the soul of the university, which is celebrating its 600th year.

Opening Concert Of The Academic Year Ku Leuven / Sponsor: Peeters Drukkerij-Uitgeverij-Boekhandel