Sarah Grunstein 2022

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Internationally acclaimed Australian pianist, Sarah Grunstein, returns to the Sydney Opera House by popular demand, to perform J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations on Monday 24 October at 7.3opm in the Sydney Opera House Utzon Room.

Bach's Goldberg Variations is perhaps one of the most challenging works in the keyboard literature. Sarah's recent performance of the Goldberg Variations has led to her being acclaimed as the 'shining light' among the Bach pianists of this generation.

Sarah Grunstein has achieved renown as an impassioned performer of Bach. From her early studies with Australian pedagogue Nancy Salas, she learned about 18th-century styles, character, dance, emotion, and improvisatory performance. This was at a time when most people were still performing Bach in a very 'rigid' way. She remarks, 'People ask me how I do what I do. I've studied and played a lot of Bach, and have read much about 18th and 19th century style - not just musical style, but compositional style, improvisation, improvisatory performance (slightly different from improvisation), and the language of various arts genres including dance, visual arts, and literature. Even though I am playing music that was composed for the harpsichord, I treat the piano as a piano and let my 'pianist-voice' speak. And keeping in my mind and heart Bach's compositional language and what I believe his creative intent was, I go to town with it.'