“When you hear Matthias sing, you are happy for the rest of your life. This man is spectacular!” Those were the words of star conductor Riccardo Chailly. Master baritone Matthias Goerne has occupied one of the leading ranks among the best worldwide representatives of his Fach for over two decades. Apart from opera and oratorio, Goerne’s area of specialization is art song. In 2005, in tandem with his long-time piano partner Alfred Brendel, he released a widely hailed recording of Beethoven’s cycle “To the Distant Beloved” op. 98, the very first song cycle in the history of classical music. That work will likewise be the highlight of Goerne’s vocal recital devoted to Beethoven in the Titan’s jubilee year. With Jan Lisiecki, Goerne will have a pianist at his side who, at age 24, already belongs to the global pianist elite. Lisiecki will likewise impressively underscore his outstanding reputation as a Beethoven interpreter when he performs the complete Five Piano Concertos while conducting the Chamber Orchestra of Europe on 8 and 9 June at the Ruhr Piano Festival.