Tübinger Hammerklavier-Tage I Completed Successfully
I am very pleased to share that Tübinger Hammerklavier-Tage I was completed successfully on 27–28 March 2026 in the Pfleghofsaal at the Musikwissenschaftliches Institut of the University of Tübingen. Conceived as a pre-opening symposium for the upcoming fortepiano exhibition opening on 24 April 2026, the event brought together performers, scholars, students, and listeners for two days of lively exchange centered on the rich world of the historical piano.
The symposium offered an opportunity to explore the fortepiano not simply as a precursor to the modern piano, but as part of a wide and varied landscape of keyboard cultures from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Through lecture-recitals, live performance, and the presence of original historical instruments restored to playing condition, the event opened up questions of sound, repertory, performance practice, and instrument history in a direct way. Instruments from both my own collection and the collections of the University of Tübingen helped make that experience especially tangible.
Over the course of the two days, the program featured a range of perspectives and repertories, including contributions from Nicolas Roudier, Charlotte Tang, Da Hyun Park, and Shin Hwang, alongside my own participation. Together, these performances and presentations created exactly the kind of atmosphere I had hoped for: thoughtful, curious, collegial, and above all animated by the sounding presence of these remarkable instruments.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who participated, performed, attended, and helped bring the event to life. My warm thanks also go to the Vereinigung der Freunde der Universität Tübingen (Universitätsbund) e. V. and the Friedrich Lurk-Stiftung for their generous support. Tübinger Hammerklavier-Tage I was a wonderful beginning, and I am delighted that it could serve as the first public step toward the larger exhibition to come.
