4th Piano Festival Berlin-Weißensee – Franz Liszt: Transformation

A Piano Festival in the North of Berlin

Since its founding in 2023, the Klavierfest Berlin-Weißensee has established itself as a Berlin insider tip for sophisticated piano music – a festival that pianist Eri Mantani brought to life out of personal commitment and which takes place annually in March in the Weißensee district (Pankow borough). The venue is the Festsaal of the Bildungs- und Kulturzentrum Peter Edel – an acoustically pleasant hall on Berliner Allee, offering ideal conditions for piano recitals.

Eri Mantani as Artistic Director

Eri Mantani, a pianist with concert experience in Europe and Japan, curates the festival annually around a thematic focus. Previous editions have been under mottos such as "Voices from the Hidden" or "Traces"; each with a program dramaturgy that connects two piano recitals with complementary programs. This is what constitutes the festival character: not two arbitrary concerts, but a dramatically thought-out weekend.

2026: Franz Liszt – Transformation

The 4th edition in 2026 is dedicated to Franz Liszt and the motto Transformation. The focus: not only Liszt's original works, but above all his famous transcriptions of Bach, Schubert, and Schumann. Liszt was one of the greatest arrangers in music history – his piano transcriptions of Bach organ works, Beethoven symphonies, and Schubert lieder have enriched the piano repertoire with central pieces and show how music is transformed through transcription.

Saturday, March 21, 2026 – Katharina Treutler

"Where Light and Darkness Touch": Katharina Treutler plays Liszt's transformations – including Bach transcriptions by Liszt himself and his predecessors/successors Busoni and Siloti – followed by works by Schubert and Schumann. A program that illuminates the fine line between original and arrangement.

Sunday, March 22, 2026 – Florian Noack

"The Blooming of Rays in Dance": Florian Noack dedicates himself to Liszt's virtuosic original works that have transformed piano playing – dance, etude, free form, sound world. Liszt's contribution to expanding pianistic possibilities is the focus.

Playing from Memory as a Concept

A special feature of both concerts: Both pianists play entirely from memory. While this is common in classical piano recitals, it is consciously highlighted here as a concept – the intensity of direct musical contact between the pianist and the audience, without the mediation of sheet music, is part of the festival's aesthetic.