Dual Anniversaries Open Artist Series Season

When the stage lights brighten and the expectant pre-concert hush falls over the audience in Macky Auditorium on Oct. 8, it will mark a significant occasion for CU Presents: The opening of the 90th Anniversary of the Artist Series. And just in case one momentous anniversary is not sufficient, this concert actually marks two. That’s because for organizations around the world, the 2026-2027 season is being dedicated to the bicentennial of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death in March 1827.

There are no finer artists with whom to celebrate these dual anniversaries than violinist Pinchas Zukerman and pianist Shai Wosner. Over the course of his more than half-century career, Zukerman has cemented a legacy as one of the world’s preeminent musicians. Whether it be as a virtuoso violinist and violist, a devoted pedagogue, a conductor or a recording artist—his more than 100 albums have resulted in an impressive 21 Grammy nominations and two wins­—Zukerman is a musician whose reputation precedes him in any venue. He also has a long history with this venue, having performed on the Artist Series in 1978, 1986 and 1994. A fitting choice for this anniversary season!

Zukerman’s partner for this performance is Shai Wosner, a pianist who has been lauded by NPR’s All Things Considered for his “keen musical mind and deep musical soul.” An avid recitalist and chamber musician, Wosner performs regularly on stages spanning the globe. His lengthy list of orchestral appearances includes performances with the BBC orchestras, LSO Saint Luke’s, the Vienna Philharmonic and the orchestras of Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Toronto. Particularly noteworthy during this Beethoven bicentennial season are Wosner’s chamber arrangements of Beethoven’s symphonies which have been performed and recorded by Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos and Yo-Yo Ma.

In honor of the Beethoven bicentennial season, Zukerman’s and Wosner’s program will feature three violin sonatas by the man himself. Beethoven composed a total of 10 violin sonatas and this concert will feature a symmetrical selection: The First, Fifth and Tenth Sonatas. The Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major and Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24—known by the nickname of "Spring"—both date from Beethoven’s Early Period, while the Violin Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96 is widely considered to be the final work of his Middle Period. These three remarkable works are suffused with all the beauty, the drama and the wit that is to be expected from the man who is perhaps classical music’s most revered composer. 

Pinchas Zukerman and Shai Wosner perform on the Artist Series at Macky Auditorium on Oct. 8, 2026.