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History and Aims
The Beethoven Society of Europe was established in London in March 1993 by a steering committee of distinguished pianists and scholars: the late Kendall Taylor CBE, Professor Malcolm Troup, Peter Feuchtwanger, Alberto Portugheis, Carola Grindea, J. Audrey Ellison and Malcolm Miller, and launched at a Beethoven-Day held at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
The Society constitutes an international forum for pianists, teachers, music lovers and musicologists for the greater appreciation of Beethoven's piano music in all its aspects. The Society's primary aim is the promotion of the authentic interpretation of all Beethoven's music for, and including, piano along the deeper awareness of his pianistic oeuvre.
Activities for our members involve musicians and scholars from all over Europe and beyond, concerned with the enrichment of both performance and reception of the repertoire. Through a wide variety of events the Society aims to encourage the highest standards of interpretation and scholarship. Our programme of events covers such issues as the comparative study of interpretation and editions, the historical context of the oeuvre, and the most recent Beethoven research. Our concerts feature not only the familiar repertoire of sonatas and concertos but also the less frequently performed chamber and piano music.
Society Activities and Publications
A variety of activities is organised by the Society to cover the teaching and performance of Beethoven's piano music. Amongst the major events presented by the society are an annual Beethoven Intercollegiate Piano Competition (on 16 December, his birthdate) with the Beethoven Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, The Kendall Taylor Prize, and a variety of valuable awards, and an annual Masterclass/Concert in the Spring. The Society also holds conferences, lectures and lecture-recitals, festivals, day-schools and other courses. Bonn, Vienna, Ljubliana, Budapest and Prague are examples of tour destinations. Information about all activities, as well as news and correspondence, is communicated in a regular members' Newsletter, while a more extensive journal, Arietta, is published annually and distributed free to members. |
