Rereading Beethoven’s sonatas: Olli Mustonen performs in Sydney

By Zoltán Szabó, 09 March 2026

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“its impassioned performance encapsulated Mustonen’s enormous range of expressions”

Reviewed at ACO On The Pier: The Neilson, Sydney on 7 March 2026

Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 1 in F minor, Op.2 no.1

Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 2 in A major, Op.2 no.2

Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 22 in F major, Op.54

Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 23 in F minor "Appassionata", Op.57

Olli Mustonen, Piano

(Re)Creating Schubert’s world: Olli Mustonen with the ACO

Zoltán Szabó, 20th September

The Finnish composer/pianist's refined and idiosyncratic musical style makes for a great collaboration with the ACO solo string players.

*****

Mozart meets the Russians at The Sage

Jane Shuttleworth, 17th November

The Royal Northern Sinfonia and Olli Mustonen push Shostakovich to the brink of insanity, and suprise with Mozart's 'Coronation' Concerto.

***11

Olli Mustonen: Wunderkind still going strong

Olli Lehtonen, 4th November

On Friday evening, the first snow cast its veil over my hometown. Despite the frost, Olli Mustonen’s concert at the Turku Concert Hall got people on the move.

****1

Mostly sparkling Mozart from La Verdi

James Imam, 6th March

As a pianist, Mustonen failed to deliver as would have been hoped, though as a conductor his rapport with the orchestra bore delightful results.

****1

Murail to Mahler: A concert of firsts from the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Oramo

Katy Wright, 2nd November

Saturday saw the BBC Symphony Orchestra open their 2013/14 season with an evening of firsts. Not only was this Sakari Oramo’s first Barbican season concert as Chief Conductor, but the programme placed a première by leading “spectral” composer Tristan Murail alongside Shostakovich’s First Piano Concerto and Mahler’s First Symphony.

***11

Opening of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Gergiev Festival

Renée Reitsma, 7th September

Rachmaninov’s symphonic poem The Isle of the Dead is an intense piece of music. Inspired by a painting by Böcklin, Rachmaninov tells us of the journey to the underworld. The first moments of the piece are crucial to any performance, and Valery Gergiev lead the Rotterdam Philharmonic into a heavy and emotionally laden rendition.

****1

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Zoltán Szabó

Zoltán Szabó is a cellist and musicologist. Having migrated from his native Hungary to Australia in 1985, he worked with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in Sydney until 1991, when he became Principal Cello with Opera Australia. In 2017, he was awarded with a Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD). Currently, he is teaching music history and musicology at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.