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For the German magazine Fono Forum, Arnt Cobbers spoke to Andreas Grau and Götz Schumacher about cosmic music, their collaboration with composers such as Stockhausen and Kurtág, and interpretative freedom in both older and contemporary music.
On the occasion of the new recording of Stockhausen's epochal piano work Mantra, Götz Schumacher talks in an interview about the intensive relationship that has connected the GrauSchumacher Piano Duo with the work since its beginnings.
In May 2025, the GrauSchumacher Piano Duo premiered Ming Tsao's second adaptation of Stockhausen's complex and open score Plus Minus, which has now been released on the Neos label.
With Works by W.A. Mozart, Maurice Ravel, Igor Strawinsky and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo, piano
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sonate D-dur, KV 448 for two pianos
György Kurtág, from: Játékok - 1) Blumen die Menschen, 2) Einige flüchtige Gedanken über den Alberti Bass, 3) Hommage à Jeney (Rufnummern unserer Liebsten 1), 4) Eine Blume für Márta
Hans Werner Henze, Divertimenti
Joseph Haydn, Divertimento F-Dur, Hob. XVII a,1
Maurice Ravel, Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn
Claude Debussy, Hommage à Haydn
Maurice Ravel, Rhapsodie espagnole
Philippe Manoury, Le temps, mode d’emploi
Kelley Sheehan, New Work (2025) World Premiere
SWR Experimentalstudio, electronics
Sarah Saviet, violin
Ty Bouque, baritone
Philippe Manoury, composition
A reading from Julian Barnes’ novel "The Noise of Time" and music by Shostakovich
Armida Quartett
Ulrich Noethen, actor
Not to be missed. The GrauSchumacher Piano Duo have perfected the art of piano playing for four hands. […] The decisive factor is the freedom they achieve in concert at the moment of making music. (Süddeutsche Zeitung)
Andreas Grau and Götz Schumacher are widely regarded as one of the world’s leading piano duos, renowned for their ability to curate intelligent and imaginative programmes. Their collaboration at the piano is evidence that these two expert pianists are nothing short of musical soul mates. Their masterful command of their instruments, combined with a nuanced, highly expressive musicality, gives their concerts – whether featuring works by Schubert or Stockhausen – a distinctive intensity and immediacy.
The duo’s wide-ranging and multi-faceted interpretations have led to ongoing invitations to international festivals and concert halls, as well as collaborations with renowned conductors such as Michael Gielen, Markus Stenz, Emanuel Krivine, Kent Nagano, Andrej Boreyko, and Zubin Mehta. As soloists, they have played with all of the German radio symphony orchestras, the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, as well as at the Enescu Festival Bucharest, the Ruhr Piano Festival, Rheingau Music Festival, at London’s Wigmore Hall, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Kölner Philharmonie, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Wiener Konzerthaus, Tonhalle Zürich, Franz Liszt Academy Budapest, De Doelen Rotterdam, the Concertgebouw Bruges, or the Suntory Hall Tokyo.
Recent appearances have included the Philharmonie Berlin, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Liederhalle Stuttgart, the Teatro Petruzelli Bari, the Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele and the Ruhr Piano Festival. This season will see them performing at festivals such as the styriarte Graz, the Musikfestspiele Saar, the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Time:Spans Festival in New York. As artists-in-residence with the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto at Casa da Música in 2022, the duo presented its stylistic expertise from classical to contemporary music: throughout the year, Andreas Grau and Götz Schumacher performed concertos by Bach, Mendelssohn, Poulenc, and Wolfgang Rihm, working with conductors such as Michael Sanderling, Sylvain Cambreling, and Rebecca Tong.
Through their performances of well-known orchestral concertos, the GrauSchumacher Piano Duo is always striving for new ways to extend the repertoire for two pianos and orchestra. They have, for example, initiated an arrangement by Stefan Heucke of Franz Liszt’s famous Concerto Pathétique for two pianos and orchestra, which they performed again with the Philharmonie Reutlingen during the current season. With the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under Marc Albrecht, they presented the Germany premiere of Claudio Ambrosini’s Plurimo. Inspired by the duo’s virtuoso yet delicate playing, leading contemporary composers such as Peter Eötvös, Philippe Manoury, Luca Francesconi and Isabel Mundry have written new concertos for Andreas Grau and Götz Schumacher. The duo also regularly performs new recital works, most recently by Brigitta Muntendorf, Bernd Richard Deutsch, Johannes Maria Staud and Ming Tsao.
Alongside their recital and orchestral appearances, Andreas Grau and Götz Schumacher regularly realise interdisciplinary art and music projects. They have intensified their collaboration with German actor Ulrich Noethen, creating new projects in addition to their acclaimed Schubert programme, such as a new Shostakovich programme based on Julian Barnes' novel The Noise of Time.
The duo’s carefully curated programmes are also a hallmark of their numerous recordings, released, among others, on the label Neos, where they have their own series: The Concerti I-III series, recorded with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and featuring works from Bach and Mozart to Poulenc and Adams, stands alongside “reference recordings” (Fono Forum) such as Fantasias (Schubert, Purcell/Kurtág, Mozart/Busoni, Scriabin, and Rachmaninoff) and Stockhausen's Mantra (“exemplary”, Piano News). In 2021, the duo received the German Record Critics' Annual Award for Christophe Bertrand's Vertigo with the WDR Symphony Orchestra under Peter Rundel.
2025/26 season
This biography is to be reproduced without any changes, omissions, or additions, unless expressly authorised by the artist management.
Klavier vierhändig: Schubert – Kurtág – Eötvös
Program I (two pianos)
F. Schubert: Six grandes Marches et Trios D 819 (selection)György Kurtág: Játékok (selection)Peter Eötvös: ListzomaniaF. Schubert: Fantasy in F minor
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in D Major, KV 448Johannes Brahms: Haydn Variations, Op. 56b— IntermissionFranz Liszt: Concerto PathétiqueMaurice Ravel: La Valse
Program II (Two Pianos)
Claude Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un fauneClaude Debussy: En blanc et noir— IntermissionOlivier Messiaen: Visions de l'Amen
Program III (Four Hands)
Franz Schubert: Fantasy in F Minor, D 940Leonid Desyatnikov: Trompe-l'œil— IntermissionIgor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du Printemps)
"It is remarkable what a range of nuanced tonal colors Götz Schumacher and Andreas Grau are able to draw from the Fazioli, right up to the final “Sacrificial Dance”."
Kronen Zeitung, 03/04/2026
"The exceptional pianists demonstrated that they are at home not only in precise rhythmic vehemence, but also in consummate tonal poetry, conjuring magical sounds of an almost elfin delicacy."
Kleine Zeitung, Walther Neumann, 03/04/2026
"Even today, the piece has not lost any of its charm, and the same is true of the GrauSchumacher Piano Duo's interpretation. The efforts are not perceptible at all. Everything seems light and natural, even sensual. [...] Avant-garde as exciting fireworks - that's how it works!"
Concerti, Ecki Ramón Weber about Mantra, 06/06/2024
"With this album, Mantra reaches its canon — the definitive status of a cult work."
Scherzo, Ismael G. Cabral, 09/2024
"This is not an overly intellectual ‘tour de force’, but a journey into outer and inner being: absolutely exemplary!"
Piano News, Marco Frei about Mantra, 05/2024
“This new recording, featuring the piano duo of Andreas Grau and Götz Schumacher, is the one to have: the special effects colour the piano tones rather than overloading them, as they do in other performances.”
The Spectator, Damian Thompson über Mantra, 31/8/2024
The Spectator, Damian Thompson about Mantra, 31/08/2024
"Even today, the piece has not lost any of its charm, and the same is true of the GrauSchumacher Piano Duo's interpretation. The efforts are not perceptible at all. Everything seems light and natural, even sensual. [...] Avant-garde as exciting fireworks - that's how it works"
Concerti, Ecki Ramón Weber über Mantra, 6/6/2024
"With this album, Mantra reaches its canon, the definitive status of cultured work."
Piano News, Marco Frei über Mantra, 5/2024
"The two pianists achieve such a homogeneity of meaning and technique, expression and transparency in their interplay that the singular is indeed appropriate here."
Erlanger Nachrichten, Cora Uitting, 9/3/2024
“[…] an exhilarating study in the transformation of sonority.”
The Sunday Times, Dan Cairns, 1/12/2019 (100 best records of the year, Philippe Manoury: Le temps, mode d'emploi)
“[W]hat's really impressive is how well the live electronics interact with pianists Andreas Grau and Götz Schumacher. […] Entrancing sounds apart, it's possible to enjoy the music as a demonstration of the pair’s technical skills: rich, deep chords ringing out to thrilling effect and the faster, percussive passages superbly co-ordinated. Listening in a single sitting makes the coda’s soft tinklings as emotionally affecting as they are beautiful.”
The Artsdesk, Graham Rickson, 14/09/2019 (on the recording of Philippe Manoury: Le temps, mode d'emploi)
“Just as Brandauer succeeds in imagining the magical happenings in the Athenian forest only through language and a little play, so the two pianists are able to visualize the magic of Mendelssohn's music with four hands without any other instruments on the piano.”
Pforzheimer Zeitung, Wolfram Frey, 23/07/2018
“Three German premieres by Shostakovich [Arthur Honegger's third symphony, Igor Stravinsky's Psalmensymphonie and Mahler's Tenth Symphony in the version for two pianos]: A fantastic opportunity for the piano duo GrauSchumacher to present their artistic freedom with all due restraint.”
FAZ, Michael Ernst, 28/06/2018
“GrauSchumacher’s Schubert and Rachmaninov contain several amazing moments. Instead of grand gestures, the expressive details are brought to the fore. […] Those who know Rachmaninov’s piano music will be aware that he managed to realise his ideal sound world in these works. A reference recording!”
Fono Forum, Matthias Kornemann, September 2017 – Recommendation of the month
“The GrauSchumacher Piano Duo are always accurate and well balanced, with some great feats of coordination.”
The Observer, Nicholas Kenyon, 14/5/2017 (Fantasias)
“There are hardly any recordings in which the first two chords capture the imagination, as this one does. […] This is an inspiring programme, brilliantly played, with a real element of fun – what more can one ask for!”
BR-Klassik CD-Tip, Thorsten Preuß, 14/03/2017 (Concerti III)
“The phenomenal pianists played these works [Busoni’s complete works for two pianos] as if lost in a dream, so that […] one believed that it was here and only here (except perhaps in the music of Bach himself) where musical freedom had been achieved.”
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Julia Spinola, 5/09/2016
“The GrauSchumacher Piano Duo from Berlin gave a spellbinding concert, which opened with Bach reinvented by György Kurtág elegantly and Busoni extravagantly (his mammoth Fantasia contrappuntistica). These works were played from memory, a feat in itself, with every line of counterpoint clearly voiced, every pianistic flourish and crossing of parts delivered with fantasy. The four hands of Andreas Grau and Götz Schumacher seemed to spring from one head and heart.”
The Guardian, Fiona Maddocks, 18/10/2015
“[Brigitta Muntendorf’s] piano work “The key of presence” is great music for light instrumentation: the GrauSchumacher Piano Duo handled the amplified piano and their microphoned bodies expertly.”
Neue Musikzeitung (nmz), Andreas Kolb, March 2015
“There is a lot going on in “Le temps, mode d’emploi“ (2014) for two pianos and live electronics – the GrauSchumacher Piano Duo and SWR Experimentalstudio performed the world premiere of this 50-minute work brilliantly. The construction is one of elegant strength, which at times feels spontaneous, and the pianists’ spectacular playing combined with electronics is highly entertaining. […] The polyphony of time that is produced is so invigorating that the time just flies by.”
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 15/05/2014 (on the world premiere of Philippe Manoury’s Le temps)
“Forceful, spectacularly virtuoso […]. This performance is a model of sustained alertness, the recording admirably spacious and sonorous.”
Gramophone, Arnold Whittall, March 2011 (on the CD recording with works from Bartók and Rihm)
“Both pianists in the GrauSchumacher Piano Duo, Andreas Grau and Götz Schumacher, find an excellent balance between diligence necessitated by the character of the piece and a sound quality that remains clear up to the most hazy ray of light, both of which contribute to the listener’s understanding of the project.”
Diapason, Benoît Fauchet, February 2010 (on the CD Kosmos. George Crumb, György Kurtág, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Béla Bartók, Peter Eötvös)
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo | Orchestra Repertoire
Quasi una fantasia...
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo | MDR Symphony Orchestra | Béla Bartók: Concerto for two Pianos, Percussion and Orchestra
Brigitta Muntendorf: Theatre of Echo
Franz Schubert: Fantasia in F minor D 940
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo / Klaus Maria Brandauer: Mozarts Freiheit
bastille musique, DDD, 2022
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo, SWR Experimentalstudio, Duo Corde
NEOS 2025
Works by Brahms, Wagner & DebussyNeos, 2020, DDD 10350120
NEOS 2024
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo, Zafraan Ensemble, KNM Berlin, WDR Sinfonieorchester
bastille musique, DDD, 2013-2020
for 2 Pianos & Elektronics, Experimentalstudio des SWRNeos, Jun 2019, DDD 9262939
JAHRESPREIS DER DEUTSCHEN SCHALLPLATTENKRITIK
Works by Francis Poulenc, Colin McPhee, John AdamsGrauSchumacher Piano Duo, Trio Mediæval, Brad Lubman, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester BerlinNEOS Feb 2016, DDD 21703
Works by Liszt, Heucke, Bach, Stravinsky
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo, Martyin Brabbins, Conductor, Deutsches Symphonie- Orchester Berlin
NEOS 2014, 21302
Works by Purcell/Kurtág, Mozart, Schubert, Scriabin, Rachmaninov
NEOS 2017
Werke von Bach, Debussy, Saint-Säens, Mozart, Wagner, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovski, Ravel
Neos 2012, 20903
Werke von Mozart, Listz, BartókGrauSchumacher Piano Duo, Franz Schindlbeck und Jan Schlichte, Schlagzeug; Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Ruben Gazarian, DirigentNeos 2010, 20901
Werke von Rihm, Bartók
Franz Schindlbeck und Jan Schlichte, Schlagzeug
NEOS 2010, 11032
Werke von Crumb, Kurtág, Stockhausen, Bártok, Eötvös
NEOS 2009, 20802
Werke von Schubert, Schostakovitsch
Neos 2009, 20801
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Peter Rundel, Dirigent
Neos 2009, 10721
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo, SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart; Marcus Creed, Dirigent
SWRmusic/hänssler 2009, hänsslerCLASSIC CD 93.231
Liszt: Via Crucis für Chor, Solostimmen und Klavier zu vier Händen
Neos 2009, 20902
Debussy, Strawinsky
Neos 2008, 20805
Concerto per due pianoforti e orchestra
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo, Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien; Bertrand de Billy, Dirigent col legno Wien Modern Edition #2, 2008, WWE 20281
Schütz/Kurtág - Messiaen
col legno Edition 2005, WWE 20105
Hommage à Paul Klee
Camerata Bern
col legno 2005, WWE 1CD 20240
col legno Edition 2003, WWE 20108
Cosmos, Version for two pianos (1961/99)
BMC 2003, BMC CD 85
col legno Edition 2002, WWE 20106
Schubert - Brahms - Grieg - hindemith - Rihm
col legno Edition 2002, WWE 20103
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo; Ulrich Noethen, Sprecher
Edition Seeigel 2001, ISBN 3-935461-06-3
Samuel Weiss, Sprecher
Edition Seeigel 2001, ISBN 3-980 4507-1
Sonate für Klavier zu ier Händen - Walver Op.6 - Sonate für zwei Klaviere
wergo 1999, WER 6633-2
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo, Chorus Musicus, mit S.Isokoski, A.Schmidt, C.Spering
opues 111 1997, OPS 30-140
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo; Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Bernhard Kontarsky, Dirigent
col legno 1997, WWE 20002
wergo 1995, WER 6267-2