by Ron Bierman — Aug 4, 2026
Inon Barnatan became music director of La Jolla Music Society’s annual SummerFest chamber-music festival in 2018. This year, on its 40th anniversary, the celebration’s theme is “Making History.” More than 100 artists are participating in a month of 21 adventurous concerts.
Born in Tel Aviv, the pianist began playing on his own at the age of three. Half a year later his parents realized he had perfect pitch and was likely to respond well to lessons. From his youthful point of view, it probably didn’t hurt that his first teacher rewarded him with chocolates.
As he progressed, he studied at Tel Aviv University before moving to London at the age of 16 to study at the Royal Academy of Music with Maria Curcio, a student of Artur Schnabel. The late Leon Fleisher was also an influential teacher and mentor.
The versatile musician, “One of the most admired pianists of his generation” (The New York Times) performs with the world’s finest orchestras and in recitals of solo and chamber music. His most recent recording is a set of Brahms Cello Sonatas with Alisa Weilerstein.
I met with Barnatan via Zoom to discuss the festival, how he approached its programming, and his career as a soloist.