Janine Jansen and Alexandre Kantorow: Violin Sonatas
Two of the most exciting musicians of our time on one stage: on Thursday 10 December 2026, Dutch violinist Janine Jansen and French pianist Alexandre Kantorow play an evening of violin sonatas in the Hertog Jan Zaal of the Muziekgebouw Eindhoven.
The performers
Janine Jansen is the best-known Dutch violinist in the world. She performs with the leading orchestras and conductors internationally and is known for her intense, expressive playing and her love of chamber music. She is a regular guest at the Muziekgebouw, so for many concert-goers in Eindhoven she is a familiar and much-loved face.
Alexandre Kantorow is a French pianist who has taken the classical world by storm in recent years. The Muziekgebouw describes him as a fire-breathing virtuoso with a poetic charm, which sums up his playing well: brilliant technique combined with a sense of colour and imagination. Together, Jansen and Kantorow promise an evening of real partnership between violin and piano.
The programme
The evening consists of three great violin sonatas from three different eras:
- Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Sonata, Op. 12 No. 3.
- Claude Debussy: Violin Sonata in G minor.
- César Franck: Violin Sonata in A major.
It is a programme with a clear arc. Beethoven's early sonata is bright and virtuosic, written when he was a young pianist making his name in Vienna. Debussy's sonata, one of the last works he completed, is short, mysterious and full of colour. And Franck's Sonata in A major is one of the most beloved works in the entire violin repertoire: lyrical, passionate and ending in a radiant finale. In all three, the piano is an equal partner rather than an accompanist, which suits a duo of this calibre perfectly.
Practical information
- Date: Thursday 10 December 2026.
- Doors: 19:15.
- Start: 20:15.
- Hall: Hertog Jan Zaal, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven.
- Tickets: Premium €59, rank 1 €49, rank 2 €39, rank 3 €33, rank 4 €27. All tickets include an interval drink.
- Series: Masters of Chamber Music (Meesters van de Kamermuziek), Classical Season 2026–27.
Tips for the evening
- Order your interval drink in advance at the bar, so it is ready at the interval.
- Choose your seats. For chamber music, the sound is excellent throughout the hall, so the cheaper ranks are very good value.
- No dress code. Smart-casual is fine.
- Arrive on time. Latecomers may have to wait until a suitable moment to enter.
For internationals
Classical music needs no translation, and the Muziekgebouw's website and staff work in English. If you are new in Eindhoven and love classical music, this is one of the highlights of the season.
Getting there
The Muziekgebouw Eindhoven is on the Heuvel in the city centre, about a ten-minute walk from Eindhoven Centraal. The public entrance is at Heuvel 140. Car parks, including the one under the Heuvel shopping centre, and guarded bike parking are nearby. The restaurants around the Markt, the Kleine Berg and the 18 Septemberplein are a few minutes' walk away.
See all music in Eindhoven, the calendar for December 2026, and pianist Mitsuko Uchida earlier in the season.