The Menil Collection The Menil Collection

DACAMERA’s popular free Beethoven for All series returns!

Twenty sonatas spanning Beethoven’s lifetime - some of the most thrillingly inventive piano music ever composed, performed by leading Houston pianists at the Menil Collection beginning on December 4 and culminating in an afternoon marathon at Rothko Chapel on Beethoven’s birthday, Saturday, December 16.

This Beethoven for All concert celebrates the DACAMERA Young Artist program with performances by Jonathan Mak and Chelsea De Souza, with highlights including No. 26 in E-flat Major, Op. 81a, “Les Adieux.”

Celebrating the DACAMERA Young Artist Program

Jonathan Mak
Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31, No. 1
Sonata No. 17 in D Minor, Op. 31, No. 2, “The Tempest”

Chelsea de Souza
Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, Op. 90 Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Major, Op. 81a, “Les Adieux”

Free advance registration for general admission seating is available now. On the day of the performance, additional walk-up seating may be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 7:00 PM. Unfilled seats will be released at 7:20 PM.

Jonathan Mak is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at Rice University with Jon Kimura Parker and is a second-year DACAMERA Young Artist. He completed his master’s degree at the Yale School of Music and bachelor’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Mr. Mak’s accomplishments include the Canada Council for the Arts-Michael Measures award and the 2021 Sylva Gelber Music Foundation Award. An avid chamber musician, he has been invited to perform at festivals including the Festival of the Sound, Ottawa Chamberfest, and Edinburgh International Festival.

An alumni of the DACAMERA Young Artist program, known for her dynamic artistry and thought-provoking recital programming, Indian pianist Chelsea de Souza is a Steinway Young Artist equally at home in the worlds of traditional and new music. A current doctoral student at the Shepherd School of Rice University, she has appeared in concert as a soloist and chamber musician across the US, Belgium, France, Germany and India, and performed live on NBC TV and Kansas Public Radio. 2023-24 season highlights include recitals and appearances for Minnesota Orchestra’s summer season, Houston Methodist’s Center for Performing Arts Medicine, Cypress Creek FACE and Musiqa’s New Voices; she will also be featured as Artist-in-Residence on American Public Media’s Performance Today Rhone-Paris cruise.

This program takes place in the main building, located at 1533 Sul Ross Street. Additional information regarding accessibility and parking can be found here.

As always, Menil programs are free and open to all.