The Strand International Piano Series - The Beethoven Sonatas

Step into the stunning candlelit setting of St Mary le Strand — “the Jewel of the Strand” — for the return of The Strand International Piano Series, now it's in 5th year after a critically acclaimed launch season in 2022–23. This intimate and architecturally impressive Baroque church has quickly become one of London’s most captivating concert venues.

This year’s series celebrates one of the most profound and enduring achievements in the piano repertoire: Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas. Spanning the full arc of Beethoven’s creative life, these masterpieces offer an extraordinary portrait of the composer’s evolving musical voice—from youthful elegance and Classical clarity to thunderous drama, virtuosic brilliance, profound lyricism, and deeply introspective beauty. These concerts are a tribute to Beethoven at the 200th anniversary of his death.

Whether you’re a seasoned concert-goer or discovering classical piano music for the first time, this is an evening not to be missed—set in one of London’s most atmospheric musical spaces, just steps away from some of the city’s finest restaurants and bars.

Featuring
Rose McLachlan (piano)

Programme
Beethoven - Andante Favori in F
Beethoven - Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2, No. 2
Beethoven - Sonata No. 12 in A-flat major, Op. 26 (Funeral March)

Rose McLachlan comes from a family of musicians and began piano lessons with her father aged 7. Shortly after she joined Chetham’s School of Music where she studied with Helen Krizos. In 2020, she entered the Royal Northern College of Music, and now is at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the tutelage of Charles Owen, Martin Roscoe and Ronan O’Hora.  She appears frequently with orchestra, making her debut aged 13 in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She has performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Barry Wordsworth and was broadcasted twice on Radio 3. As a result of winning the PianoTexas Festival concerto competition, she performed with the Fort Worth Symphony. In 2023, she performed Saint Saens‘Carnival of the Animals’ in the Bridgewater Hall with the Hallé orchestra. In September 2024, Rose performed alongside Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Andrea Nemecz in Mozart’s triple piano concerto, with the Manchester Camerata conducted by GáborTakács-Nagy. This was broadcast on BBCR3 and is available on the Chandos Label.