Edinburgh Royal Mile International Piano Series - The Beethoven Sonatas

Event information

Following its acclaimed debut in 2024, the prestigious Edinburgh International Royal Mile Piano Series returns with a complete cycle of Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas, performed across the 2025–26 season. Showcasing exceptional talent from leading UK and international pianists, each recital offers a unique perspective on some of the most profound and beloved works in the piano repertoire.

Set against the magnificent backdrop of St Giles’ Cathedral — illuminated by candlelight and enhanced by a newly installed Steinway grand piano — these concerts promise an unforgettable musical experience at the heart of Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile.

Featuring
Ariel Lanyi (piano)

Programme
Beethoven: Sonata in F-sharp major, Op. 78
Debussy: Selection of Preludes from Book II
Chopin: Sonata in B minor, Op. 58

About Ariel Lanyi
In March 2023, Ariel Lanyi was honoured to receive the Prix Serdang, a Swiss prize awarded by the distinguished Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder. The prize is endowed with CHF 50,000 and is not a competition, but a recognition of a young pianist’s achievements and an investment in their future. Prior to this, Ariel won 3rd prize at the 2021 Leeds International Piano Competition, performing Brahms Concerto No. 2 with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Andrew Manze in the finals. In the same year, he was a winner of the Young Classical Artists Trust International Auditions. Current highlights include returns to the Wigmore Hall and to the Miami International Piano Festival, as well as debut appearances at the Vancouver Recital Society, Nottingham International Piano Series, Frankfurt Alte Oper, and at Merkin Hall in New York. On the concerto platform Ariel has appeared with various orchestras, including the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Israel Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonia Viva and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Future projects include the release of Organ Reflections on Linn Records, a recording of piano music inspired by the organ by Mozart, Franck, and Reger; and a recording with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.