Ian Hobson to Launch Five-Year Schubert-Rachmaninoff Series at St. Peter's Church

Pianist and conductor Ian Hobson will embark on an ambitious five-year cycle, Musical Moments, Infinite Song - the Piano Music of Franz Schubert and Sergei Rachmaninoff, juxtaposing the works of two musical giants: Schubert and Rachmaninoff. The inaugural recital takes place Friday evening, November 13, 2026, 7 pm, at New York's St. Peter's Church on 54th Street and Lexington Avenue.

Here is the program for the first recital:

Sonatas, Small and Great
Franz Schubert Piano Sonata in A major, D 664
Sergei Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 28

Intermission

Franz Schubert Piano Sonata in A minor, D. 784
Sergei Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 36 in B-flat minor (1913 version)

'"he idea of juxtaposing two of my favorite composers, Frank Schubert and Sergei Rachmaninoff, has long appealed to me," writes Mr. Hobson. "Arguably, the two greatest melodists of their respective centuries, they have often been favored or eschewed by major pianists because of ephemeral tastes and fashions. They were both misunderstood and underestimated in their times. The inexorable logic and rightness of their musical architecture is now recognized more than ever. I look forward to exploring the treasures, great and small, of their pianistic outputs, and reveling in their mutual abilities to make the piano sing."

Tickets at $40 are available online through Eventbrite and at St. Peter's Church on the day of the concert. Later this season, the series will continue with a program entitled 'Fantasies Great and Small' on March 5, 2027 at 7 pm, also at St. Peter's Church. Mr. Hobson will be joined by fellow pianist Muen Wei and violinist Andrés Cárdenes.

Fantasies Great and Small

Sergei Rachmaninoff Morceaux de Fantaisie, op. 3

Ian Hobson, piano
Franz Schubert Fantasy in F Minor for piano four hands, D. 940
Ian Hobson, Muen Wei, piano

Intermission