Emanuel Ax named Musical America Awards’ 2026 ‘Artist of the Year’

Emanuel Ax named Musical America Awards’ 2026 ‘Artist of the Year’

Emanuel Ax named Musical America Awards’ 2026 ‘Artist of the Year’

Emanuel Ax, at age 76, combines the pianistic insight of an old master with the freshness and modesty of a newcomer. His half-century career has been based in the classics—Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Haydn—but this season he is barnstorming with a new, bespoke work: John Williams’s jazzy piano concerto.

Musical America Awards

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Next Concerts

    November 12, 2026

    Philharmonia Orchestra

    Royal Festival Hall

    J. STRAUSS II Overture, Die Fledermaus
    MOZART Piano Concerto No. 25, K. 503
    R. STRAUSS Elektra Suite (arr. Honeck & Ille)

    with Manfred Honeck, conductor

    November 13, 2026

    Screening: All the music in the world

    IFC Center

    Filmmaker Joseph Levy reveals how Ax’s scrappy NYC childhood and a close friendship with Yo-Yo Ma illuminated and enriched Ax’s natural gifts, while poignantly capturing the emotional weight of life transitions.

    November 14, 2026

    Screening: All the music in the world

    Village East by Angelika

    Filmmaker Joseph Levy reveals how Ax’s scrappy NYC childhood and a close friendship with Yo-Yo Ma illuminated and enriched Ax’s natural gifts, while poignantly capturing the emotional weight of life transitions.

    November 15, 2026

    Recital

    Auditorium de Radio France

    R. SCHUMANN Papillons
    SCHUBERT Four Impromptus, D. 935
    CHOPIN Polonaise-fantaisie in A-flat Major
    CHOPIN Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60
    CHOPIN Nocturnes, Op. 27
    CHOPIN Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor

    November 16, 2026

    Dresden Philharmonic

    Smetana Hall

    BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major
    BRUCKNER Symphony No. 7 in E major

    with Sir Donald Runnicles, conductor

    November 17, 2026

    Dresden Philharmonic

    Cankarjev Dom

    BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major
    BRUCKNER Symphony No. 7 in E major

    with Sir Donald Runnicles, conductor

    November 18, 2026

    Dresden Philharmonic

    Fondazione Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine

    BEETHOVEN Egmont Overture
    BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major
    BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 in E minor

    with Sir Donald Runnicles, conductor

    November 20, 2026

    Dresden Philharmonic

    Isarphilharmonie

    BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major
    BRUCKNER Symphony No. 7 in E major

    with Sir Donald Runnicles, conductor

Audio Player


Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4
Brahms: Music For 2 Pianos
Haydn: Piano Sonatas
Liszt: Piano Sonata in B Minor
Mendelssohn: Piano Trios
Strauss: Enoch Arden

LISTEN

Video Player

Extract from masterclass given by Emanuel Ax on Beethoven Piano Sonatas and Variations. The student is Nicolas Van Poucke. The full masterclass is available on DVD from www.masterclassfoundation.org

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