2026/27 Season
What characterizes the pianist of the future? This question formed the basis for the founding of the “Young Piano Series” and has accompanied us ever since in the development and direction of this new Bernese concert series.
In the 2026/2027 season, the Young Piano Series will evolve further, opening up new perspectives on the concert format. International pianists, young talents, and students will meet on stage, while workshops, pre-concerts, and moderated discussions will create additional opportunities for exchange and personal encounters.
Our concerts in the 2026/2027 season are:
2026/27 Season
What characterizes the pianist of the future? This question formed the basis for the founding of the “Young Piano Series” and has accompanied us ever since in the development and direction of this new Bernese concert series.
In the 2026/2027 season, the Young Piano Series will evolve further, opening up new perspectives on the concert format. International pianists, young talents, and students will meet on stage, while workshops, pre-concerts, and moderated discussions will create additional opportunities for exchange and personal encounters.
Our concerts in the 2026/2027 season are:
On October 31, 2026, pianist Zlata Chochieva will open the new season of the Young Piano Series. She has been a piano professor at the Bern University of the Arts (HKB) since last academic year and is one of the most distinguished pianists of her generation. She will perform the concert together with two of her students, who will also be performing that evening.
Following the recent significant increase in tuition fees for international students at HKB (to CHF 2,550 per semester, three times the tuition fees for Swiss students), Zlata Chochieva and her students would like their fee to be donated to the HKB scholarship fund.
Zlata Chochieva
and her students at the Bern University of the Arts
Zlata Chochieva
and her students at the Bern University of the Arts
On October 31, 2026, pianist Zlata Chochieva will open the new season of the Young Piano Series. She has been a piano professor at the Bern University of the Arts (HKB) since last academic year and is one of the most distinguished pianists of her generation. She will perform the concert together with two of her students, who will also be performing that evening.
Following the recent significant increase in tuition fees for international students at HKB (to CHF 2,550 per semester, three times the tuition fees for Swiss students), Zlata Chochieva and her students would like their fee to be donated to the HKB scholarship fund.
Saturday, 31 October 2026, 5:00 PM
Zentrum Paul Klee Bern,
Auditorium Martha Müller
Young Piano Series
Concert program
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Romance for piano six hands
César Franck (1822-1890)
Prelude, choral and fugue
performed by Valentina Kaufman
Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)
Sonatas K. 213 and K. 319
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Scherzo No. 3 Op. 39
performed by Bruno Gomes Ferreira
-Pause-
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Trio sonata in G major, BWV 530 - II. Lento, Arr. B. Bartók
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Symphonic Etudes Op. 13
performed by Zlata Chochieva
Zlata Chochieva, piano
Valentina Kaufman, piano
Bruno Gomes Ferreira, piano
Saturday, 31 October 2026, 5:00 PM
Zentrum Paul Klee Bern, Auditorium Martha Müller
Young Piano Series
Concert program
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Romance for piano six hands
César Franck (1822-1890)
Prelude, choral and fugue
performed by Valentina Kaufman
Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)
Sonatas K. 213 and K. 319
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Scherzo No. 3 Op. 39
performed by Bruno Gomes Ferreira
-Pause-
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Trio sonata in G major, BWV 530 - II. Lento, Arr. B. Bartók
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Symphonic Etudes Op. 13
performed by Zlata Chochieva
Zlata Chochieva, piano
Valentina Kaufman, piano
Bruno Gomes Ferreira, piano
On 8 March 2026, the Bern audience selected pianist Hassan Ignatov as the winner of the «Prix du Piano Bern». For several years, the Young Piano Series has been committed to ensuring that the winner of this competition returns to Bern a few months later to present themselves to the public in a full-length recital – far removed from the competition context.
The Bulgarian pianist performs internationally as both a soloist and as a piano duo with his twin brother Ibrahim Ignatov, and has won numerous awards at international competitions. The brothers gained early recognition through their participation in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2014. Hassan Ignatov is currently studying at the Maastricht Conservatory and, in addition to performing, is also composing his own works.
Hassan Ignatov
Winner of the «Prix du Piano Bern» 2026
Hassan Ignatov
Winner of the «Prix du Piano Bern» 2026
On 8 March 2026, the Bern audience selected pianist Hassan Ignatov as the winner of the «Prix du Piano Bern». For several years, the Young Piano Series has been committed to ensuring that the winner of this competition returns to Bern a few months later to present themselves to the public in a full-length recital – far removed from the competition context.
The Bulgarian pianist performs internationally as both a soloist and as a piano duo with his twin brother Ibrahim Ignatov, and has won numerous awards at international competitions. The brothers gained early recognition through their participation in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2014. Hassan Ignatov is currently studying at the Maastricht Conservatory and, in addition to performing, is also composing his own works.
Saturday, 9 January 2027, 5:00 PM
Zentrum Paul Klee Bern,
Auditorium Martha Müller
Young Piano Series
Concert program
Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
Préludes, Livre II: Nos. 1, 4, 6, 7 and 12
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata”
-Pause-
Frederic Chopin (1810–1849)
Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58
Hassan Ignatov, piano
Saturday, 9 January 2027, 5:00 PM
Zentrum Paul Klee Bern, Auditorium Martha Müller
Young Piano Series
Concert program
Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
Préludes, Livre II: Nos. 1, 4, 6, 7 and 12
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata”
-Pause-
Frederic Chopin (1810–1849)
Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58
Hassan Ignatov, piano
On 10 April 2027, pianist, conductor, and composer Mélodie Zhao will be a guest at the Young Piano Series at the Zentrum Paul Klee. Born in Switzerland in 1994, she has established herself as one of the most versatile artists of her generation and performs regularly in renowned venues such as the Tonhalle Zurich, the NCPA Beijing, Victoria Hall Geneva, and the Théâtre du Châtelet Paris. As a soloist, she has appeared with orchestras including the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Moscow Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, and the Shanghai Philharmonic.
To mark the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's death, Mélodie Zhao presents the program Beethoven Transcendental – Beethoven's most famous symphonies, reimagined from the piano perspective. As the youngest pianist in history, she recorded all of Beethoven's piano sonatas at the age of 19; this long and profound engagement with his work forms the basis for an extraordinary approach: As a composer and virtuoso, she transforms Beethoven's symphonies into independent, large-scale piano structures that stand in the tradition of Liszt and Busoni while simultaneously developing a genuinely modern piano language.
Mélodie Zhao
Beethoven Transcendental
Melody Zhao
Beethoven Transcendental
On 10 April 2027, pianist, conductor, and composer Mélodie Zhao will be a guest at the Young Piano Series at the Zentrum Paul Klee. Born in Switzerland in 1994, she has established herself as one of the most versatile artists of her generation and performs regularly in renowned venues such as the Tonhalle Zurich, the NCPA Beijing, Victoria Hall Geneva, and the Théâtre du Châtelet Paris. As a soloist, she has appeared with orchestras including the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Moscow Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, and the Shanghai Philharmonic.
To mark the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's death, Mélodie Zhao presents the program Beethoven Transcendental Beethoven's most famous symphonies, reimagined from the piano perspective. As the youngest pianist in history, she recorded all of Beethoven's piano sonatas at the age of 19; this long-standing and profound engagement with his work forms the basis for an extraordinary approach: As a composer and virtuoso, she transforms Beethoven's symphonies into independent, large-scale piano structures that stand in the tradition of Liszt and Busoni while simultaneously developing a genuinely modern piano language.
Saturday, 10 April 2027, 5:00 PM
Zentrum Paul Klee Bern,
Auditorium Martha Müller
Young Piano Series
Concert program
Ludwig van Beethoven (1780-1827)
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
Arrangement Melody Zhao
Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 — II. Allegretto
Arrangement Melody Zhao
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 — IV. Finale
Arrangement by Franz Liszt
Mélodie Zhao, piano
A drink after the concert, as well as participation in the panel discussion and CD signing session, are included in the price.
Saturday, 10 April 2027, 5:00 PM
Zentrum Paul Klee Bern, Auditorium Martha Müller
Young Piano Series
Concert program
Ludwig van Beethoven (1780-1827)
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
Arrangement Melody Zhao
Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 — II. Allegretto
Arrangement Melody Zhao
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 — IV. Finale
Arrangement by Franz Liszt
Mélodie Zhao, piano
A drink after the concert, as well as participation in the panel discussion and CD signing session, are included in the price.
