Igor Levit Makes Baltimore Debut, Hélène Grimaud Returns at Shriver Hall

Shriver Hall Concert Series (SHCS), Baltimore's premier presenter of solo recitalists and chamber music ensembles, presents the long-awaited Baltimore debut of pianist Igor Levit with an all-Beethoven program featuring the “Tempest” sonata's dramatic intensity and the “Waldstein”'s heroic brilliance on Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. Levit has become “one of the essential artists of his generation” (The New York Times), renowned for his extraordinary technique and musicianship. The German pianist is also known as a politically engaged, cultural omnivore with life-affirming artistry who has cited Thelonious Monk and hip-hop among his influences. Later this season Levit kicks off his complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle - spanning two seasons at Carnegie Hall - with four programs in April 2027 marking the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's death.

Returning to Baltimore for the first time in a decade, the French pianist Hélène Grimaud performs the final sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert on Sunday, November 22, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. She is known for performances that are “bold, daring, beautiful, and intelligent” (Forbes), approaching repertoire with a rare artistic freedom, creating “highly personal explorations that can stand out among dozens of rival performances” (The New Yorker).

For over 60 years, the Shriver Hall Concert Series has brought world-class musicians and artists to Baltimore and its surrounding communities, enriching the cultural scene with outstanding performances in classical and chamber music. This season, Shriver Hall features both established artists and some of the industry's most exciting new talent, for a program that explores classic masterpieces and modern compositions alike. Following Grimaud's performance on November 22, Shriver Hall will present the Verona Quartet, joined by saxophonist Steven Banks, on December 6th, 2026, for a collaboration that celebrates the works of Christopher Theofanidis and Mozart. 

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Concert Information

Igor Levit, piano

Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.
Shriver Hall | 3400 N. Charles Street | Baltimore, MD 21218
Tickets (Limited Availability): Subscriptions from $265; Single Tickets from $50; $10 Students
Link: https://www.shriverconcerts.org/levit 

All-Beethoven Program
Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op 2, No 1
Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Op. 31, No. 2, “Tempest” 
Sonata No. 25 in G major, Op. 79
Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53, “Waldstein”

A Pre-Concert Talk takes place at 4:30 pm in Shriver Hall with The Peabody Institute's Christopher Ciampoli.
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Hélène Grimaud, piano

Sunday, November 22, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.
Shriver Hall | 3400 N. Charles Street | Baltimore, MD 21218
Tickets (Limited Availability): Subscriptions from $265; Single Tickets from $50; $10 Students
Link: https://www.shriverconcerts.org/grimaud 

Program
BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111
SCHUBERT: Sonata in B-flat major, D. 960

A Pre-Concert Talk takes place at 4:30 pm in Shriver Hall with The Peabody Institute's Anna Celenza.

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About Igor Levit

With an alert and critical mind, Igor Levit places his art in dialogue with contemporary social issues, regarding music and civic engagement as inseparably linked. The New York Times describes Levit as one of the “most important artists of his generation,” and The New Yorker as a pianist “like no other.” In 2018, he was named the eighth recipient of the prestigious Gilmore Artist Award—one of the world's most distinguished music awards. Since 2022-23, he has served as the co-artistic director of the Heidelberger Frühling Musikfestival.

Marking the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's death in 2027, Levit returns to the complete cycle of Beethoven's piano sonatas. Following acclaimed performances in Salzburg and Hamburg in 2019 and 2020, he presents the eight-concert cycle in New York, London, Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and North Rhine Westphalia between October 2026 and June 2028. During the 2026-27 season, he also performs Beethoven recitals in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Hanover, Katowice, Leipzig, Lisbon, Nuremberg, Milan, Paris, Prague, Rome, Warsaw, Zurich, and throughout North America. With Sir Antonio Pappano and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, he performs at the Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm in December 2026. The first complete recording of Levit's Beethoven piano sonatas, released by Sony Classical in September 2019, immediately reached number one on the official classical charts. In June 2026, he founded his own label NO SILENCE.

Born in Nizhni Novgorod, Levit moved to Germany with his family at age eight. He completed his piano studies at Hanover's University for Music, Theatre, and Media, with the highest score in the institute's history; in the spring of 2019 he was appointed professor of piano at his alma mater.

For his political engagement, Levit received the fifth International Beethoven Prize in 2019, followed in January 2020 by the International Auschwitz Committee's sculpture 'To B remembered.' His 53 house concerts streamed live on X (formerly Twitter) during the pandemic in spring 2020 garnered a worldwide audience, offering a sense of community and hope in a time of isolation and desperation. In October of that year, he was recognized with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

In Berlin, where he makes his home, Levit plays a Steinway Model D piano kindly given to him by the Trustees of Independent Opera at Sadler's Wells. His websites are www.igor-levit.com and www.nosilencerecords.com 

About Hélène Grimaud
Renaissance woman Hélène Grimaud is a celebrated pianist whose artistry extends beyond the concert hall. Renowned for her poetic expression and technical mastery, she is also a committed wildlife conservationist, human rights advocate, and author. Her intense dedication to music is matched by the breadth of her engagement with environmental protection, literature, and the arts.

Born in Aix-en-Provence, Grimaud studied with Jacqueline Courtin at the local conservatory, and subsequently with Pierre Barbizet in Marseille. At age 13, she was accepted into the Paris Conservatoire, and in 1987 she gave her successful debut recital in Tokyo. That same year, conductor Daniel Barenboim invited her to perform with the Orchestre de Paris, launching a career distinguished by collaborations with many of the world's leading orchestras and conductors.

Between her debut with the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado in 1995 and her first appearance with the New York Philharmonic under Kurt Masur in 1999, Grimaud made her debut in an entirely different field: she founded the Wolf Conservation Center in New York State. Her love for this endangered species began with a chance encounter with a wolf in northern Florida. “Working directly for the protection of nature and having the opportunity to return animals to their natural world is a unique experience,” explains the pianist. Her commitment extends far: “Her energetic performance calls to mind the heroic days of late 19th- and early 20th-century recitals” (The New York Sun). Beyond this she is also a member of the organization Musicians for Human Rights, and she has authored four books, which have been published in multiple languages.

In the 2026-27 season, Grimaud turns to two significant musical legacies in a program titled The Last Testament, the final sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert. She takes the program on an extensive recital tour of leading concert halls in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. One of the defining pianists of our time, she regularly works with the world's leading orchestras and captivates audiences with numerous recitals and chamber collaborations around the globe.

Her recordings have received critical acclaim and numerous awards, including the Cannes Classical Recording of the Year, Choc du Monde de la musique, Diapason d'or, Grand Prix du disque, Record Academy Prize (Tokyo), Midem Classic Award, and ECHO Klassik.