R E P E R T O I R E

Piano Concertos

  • Twenty-two-year-old pianist Tähe-Lee Liiv possesses a remarkable piano concerto repertoire. Her repertoire includes over 30 concertos, ranging from standard masterpieces to unique and lesser-known works, including the hidden gem Piano Concerto by Ester Mägi (1922–2021), the electrifying Silk Road Piano Concerto by Fazıl Say (b. 1970), and the profoundly moving Lamentate by Arvo Pärt (b. 1935).

    She has appeared as a soloist in over 50 performances with a wide range of orchestras, including the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Vanemuine Symphony Orchestra, Vaasa City Orchestra, Nordic Symphony Orchestra, Israel Camerata Orchestra, Kremerata Baltica, Järvi Festival Youth Orchestra, Pärnu City Orchestra, and New York Camerata, among others.
    She has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Risto Joost, Olari Elts, Jüri Alperten, Kaspar Mänd, Andres Kaljuste, Mihhail Gerts, Anu Tali, Valle-Rasmus Roots, Neeme Ots, Henri Christofer Aavik, Arvo Volmer, Richard Owen, and Simone Menezes.

Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685–1750)

Concerto No. 1 in D minor, BWV 1052 (c. 1738)
Concerto No. 3 in D major, BWV 1054 (c. 1738)
Concerto No. 5 in F minor, BWV 1056 (c. 1738)

Bach, Johann Christian (1735–1782)

Piano Concerto in B-flat major, Op. 13 No. 4 (c. 1770)

Bartók, Béla (1881–1945)

Piano Concerto No. 3, Sz. 119, BB 127 (1945)

Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770–1827)

Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15 (1795)
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58 (1806)

Chopin, Frédéric (1810–1849)

Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 (1830)
Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21 (1829–1830)
Rondo à la Krakowiak in F major, Op. 14 (1828)
Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante, Op. 22 (1830–1834)

Farajianhamedani, Alireza (b. 1990s)

Piano Concertino “E così, continua la storia…” (2024)

Gershwin, George (1898–1937)

Rhapsody in Blue (1924)

Grieg, Edvard (1843–1907)

Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 (1868)

Haydn, Joseph (1732–1809)

Piano Concerto in D major, Hob. XVIII:11 (1782)

Laur, Risto (b. 1972)

The Girl and the Dragon, Piano Concerto (c. 2012–2013)

Liik, Marianna (b. 1990s)

Unfolding, Piano Concerto for piano and chamber orchestra (2025)

Mägi, Ester (1922–2021)

Piano Concerto in F-sharp minor (1953)

Mendelssohn, Felix (1809–1847)

Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 (1831)

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756–1791)

Piano Concerto No. 8 in C major, K. 246 (1776)
Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K. 414 (1782)
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 (1786)
Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat major, K. 595 (1791)

Pärt, Arvo (b. 1935)

Piano Concerto Lamentate (2002)

Rachmaninov, Sergei (1873–1943)

Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 (1901)

Say, Fazıl (b. 1970)

Piano Concerto “Silk Road” (2013)

Schumann, Robert (1810–1856)

Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 (1845)

Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich (1840–1893)

Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 (1875)

Concertos / Concertante Works for Multiple Soloists

Mägi, Ester (1922–2021)

Variations for Clarinet, Piano, and Chamber Orchestra (1972)

Mendelssohn, Felix (1809–1847)

Double Concerto in D minor for Violin, Piano, and Orchestra (1823)

Saint-Saëns, Camille (1835–1921)

Le Carnaval des animaux (1886)

Tamberg, Eino (1930–2010)

Concerto Grosso (1956)

Example programs

  • Tähe-Lee has an extensive standard repertoire spanning the entire piano literature, from Baroque to contemporary music. In recent years, she has focused particularly on Nordic composers. Her debut CD featured the complete piano works of Arvo Pärt, and her second CD, set to be released in summer 2026, will showcase Finnish piano music, including works by Rautavaara, Sibelius, and Lindberg.

    In the 2024-2025 season she achieved great success in the series “Building Bridges by Sir András Schiff” with a Nordic program featuring Pärt, Sibelius, Rautavaara, and Grieg.

    In celebration of Arvo Pärt’s 90th birthday in the fall of 2025, she presented a highly acclaimed program pairing the music of Pärt and Bach at several venues, reflecting her special connection to Bach’s music as a student of Sir András Schiff.

    She is also a dedicated advocate of Ester Mägi’s music and has a strong commitment to promoting works by female composers, including Ester Mägi, Clara Schumann, and Mel Bonis. Chosen personally by Mägi, she has performed all of her works for piano and orchestra. In July 2026, Tähe-Lee will perform Mel Bonis’s music at Musikdorf Ernen.

    In the current season (2025-2026), Tähe-Lee presents a project of three concert programs: “Mostly Mozart”, “Mostly Mendelssohn”, and “Mostly Bach”, the latter featuring three Bach keyboard concertos performed with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra in September 2026.

    Tähe-Lee has also been active in contemporary music, premiering works and collaborating closely with composers such as Arvo Pärt, Toivo Tulev, Marianna Liik, and Jörg Widmann. Her performance of Widmann’s Toccata went viral on social media, garnering millions of views.

    In addition, she is an accomplished chamber musician, collaborating with distinguished ensembles and artists, including the Tallinn String Quartet, Alkyona Quartet, Kremerata Lettonica, violinists Hans Christian Aavik, Angela Chan, and Gidon Kremer, as well as cellists Willard Carter and Marcel Johannes Kits.

Nordic Program (Pärt, Sibelius, Grieg, Rautavaara)

Longer version:

Arvo Pärt: Partita (1958) ~7 minutes
Jean Sibelius: 10 Pieces, Op. 24 (1903) ~35 minutes

…

Arvo Pärt:

Für Alina (1976) ~2 minutes
Variations for the Healing of Arinushka (1977) ~4 minutes
Für Anna Maria (2006) ~1 minutes

Edvard Grieg: Ballade in the Form of Variations on a Norwegian Folk Song in G minor, Op. 24 (1875) ~19 minutes

Einojuhani Rautavaara: Études, Op. 42 (1969) ~13 minutes

Total duration: ~81 minutes

Shorter version:

Arvo Pärt: Partita (1958) — 7 min
Jean Sibelius: Selection from 10 Pieces, Op. 24 (1903) — 20 min
Edvard Grieg: Ballade in the Form of Variations on a Norwegian Folk Song in G minor, Op. 24 (1875) — 18 min
Einojuhani Rautavaara: Études, Op. 42 (1969) — 13 min

Total duration: ~60 minutes

  • Performed in Building Bridges Season 2024–2025:

    Berlin Konzerthaus
    Vienna Ehrbar Saal
    Brussels Flagey
    (among other places)

    Program Note

    This recital traces a poetic arc through Nordic piano music, spanning late Romanticism to 20th-century modernism, and culminating in the meditative clarity of Arvo Pärt’s mature style. Together, these works reveal a shared aesthetic of introspection, nature-inspired imagery, and spiritual depth.

    Arvo Pärt: Partita (1958) opens the program with a glimpse into the composer’s early voice. Written before his famous tintinnabuli style, the Partita blends Baroque formal influence with modern harmonic language, already showing Pärt’s interest in clarity, structure, and restraint.

    Jean Sibelius: Selections from 10 Pieces, Op. 24 (1903) present a set of expressive miniatures that range from intimate lyricism to bold, dramatic gestures. Though best known for his symphonic works, Sibelius’s piano music reveals a refined sense of atmosphere and character, often evoking the Nordic landscape in compressed, poetic form.

    Edvard Grieg: Ballade in the Form of Variations on a Norwegian Folk Song, Op. 24 (1875) stands as one of the masterpieces of the Romantic piano repertoire. Built on a somber folk melody, the work unfolds as a powerful sequence of variations, moving between introspection and virtuosity while affirming Grieg’s deep connection to Norwegian musical heritage.

    Einojuhani Rautavaara: Études, Op. 42 (1969) explore the piano’s sonic and expressive extremes. These études go beyond technical display, offering a rich palette of colors, rhythms, and textures that reflect Rautavaara’s distinctive blend of modernism and mysticism.

    The second half centers on Arvo Pärt’s mature piano works—Für Alina, Variations for the Healing of Arinushka, and Für Anna Maria. These intimate pieces exemplify his tintinnabuli style, where simplicity, silence, and spiritual focus create an atmosphere of quiet contemplation and timelessness.

    Pianist Tähe-Lee Liiv is recognized for her thoughtful interpretations of contemporary and Nordic repertoire. She has recorded all of Arvo Pärt’s piano works for ERP on her debut album (2023) and will record an album of Finnish piano music for Da Vinci Classics, scheduled for release in summer 2026.

    Flexibility / Adaptation Notes

    The Nordic theme can be maintained while varying individual pieces: Alternate Sibelius or Grieg works (e.g., a different Sibelius opus or a Grieg Sonata instead of the Ballade); replace Rautavaara Études with Lindberg Études.

Pärt and Bach

Arvo Pärt (b. 1935):

Für Alina (1976) ~2 minutes
Variations for the Healing of Arinushka (1977) ~4 minutes
Für Anna Maria (2006) ~1 minute

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750):

Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, BWV 825 ~18 minutes
(intermission)

Arvo Pärt:

Four Easy Dances (1959) ~6 minutes
Puss in Boots
Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf
Butterflies
Dance of the Ducklings

Johann Sebastian Bach:

English Suite No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 807 ~20 minutes

Arvo Pärt:

Partita (1958) ~7 minutes

Total duration: ~58 minutes

  • Performed in season 2025-2026:

    In Festivals dedicated to Pärt 90

    Flagey, Brussels
    Berlin
    Chemnitz
    (among others)

    Program Note

    Arvo Pärt and Johann Sebastian Bach form a natural and compelling pairing. Both composers share a deep connection to religion, yet their music is equally capable of playfulness, clarity, and dance-like vitality. Pärt himself openly acknowledged Bach’s influence, most famously by quoting the C major Prelude from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I in his work Credo.

    A central unifying theme of this program is the partita. Bach’s Partita No. 1 stands alongside Pärt’s early Partita, an atonal work strongly influenced by Baroque forms and gestures. Though composed centuries apart, both works reveal a shared architectural clarity and a fascination with dance-derived movements.

    Dance is another key thread running through the program. Bach’s Partita and English Suite are rooted in Baroque dance forms, while Pärt’s early Four Easy Dances offer a charming, imaginative response from the 20th century. These dances also form a subtle link to Pärt’s later tintinnabuli-style piano works—Für Alina, Für Anna Maria, and Variations for the Healing of Arinushka. All are inspired by children and serve as intimate, distilled examples of Pärt’s mature musical language.

    This dialogue across centuries is further embodied by the performer. Tähe-Lee Liiv’s debut CD, released on ERP, presents the complete piano works of Arvo Pärt and has received a highly praised review from Gramophone magazine. Her close engagement with Bach’s music is shaped by a special artistic lineage as a student of Sir András Schiff.

    Together, these works create a dialogue across time, revealing shared spiritual depth, formal elegance, and a joyful sense of play.

    Flexibility / Adaptation Notes

    It is possible to switch or add works by Bach or Pärt. For example, another English Suite or Partita by Bach, or other piano works by Arvo Pärt, may be performed, as Tähe-Lee has played all of Pärt’s piano works.

Femmes de légende (Clara Schumann, Mel Bonis, Ester Mägi)

Clara Schumann (1819–1896):

Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 20 (1853) ~10 minutes

Mel Bonis (1858–1937):

Femmes de légende (1909-1925) ~24 minutes -
Mélisande
Desdémona
Ophélie
Viviane
Phœbé
Salomé
Omphale

Ester Mägi (1922–2021):

Lapland Yoiks (1987) ~15 minutes

Total duration: ~49 minutes

  • Program Note

    This program celebrates three remarkable female composers whose music deserves wider recognition. Through lyricism, myth, and cultural memory, these works reveal a powerful lineage of musical imagination, often overlooked in standard concert repertoire.

    Clara Schumann’s Variations are a deeply expressive conversation with Robert Schumann’s musical world. More than a tribute, the work demonstrates Clara’s distinctive harmonic voice, formal mastery, and emotional depth, combining lyricism and virtuosic brilliance.

    Mel Bonis, a contemporary and classmate of Claude Debussy, was a pioneering figure in French late-Romantic music. Femmes de légende presents seven portraits of legendary women, from the fragile innocence of Ophélie to the dramatic intensity of Salomé. Rich in color, atmosphere, and harmonic imagination, these pieces reveal Bonis’s unique artistic voice.

    Ester Mägi, Estonia’s “First Lady of Music,” drew inspiration from ancient song traditions in Lapland Yoiks, creating work that evoke vast landscapes, ritual chant, and elemental forces. Her music combines folk roots with modern expression. Mägi personally selected the 17-year-old Tähe-Lee as a soloist for her Variations for Piano, Clarinet, and Orchestra, which she has performed multiple times.

    Flexibility / Adaptation Notes

    This program allows for adaptability in repertoire selection and pairing, offering several programming possibilities and flexibility in duration and thematic connections, while maintaining artistic coherence and preserving the focus on three remarkable female composers whose music remains underrepresented in standard concert repertoire.

    Clara & Robert Schumann: Clara Schumann’s Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 20 can be paired with works by Robert Schumann, such as the Fantaisie or Humoreske, to highlight the dialogue between their musical voices.
    Mel Bonis & Claude Debussy: Mel Bonis’s Femmes de légende can be performed in its entirety or as selected movements, allowing flexibility in concert length or programming focus. These pieces can also be paired with Debussy’s Images, emphasizing historical and stylistic connections between Bonis and her contemporaries in French late-Romantic music. The idea to highlight Bonis’s music alongside Debussy originated at the Musikdorf Ernen Festival, where Tähe-Lee will perform a recital in July 2026 featuring both composers.
    Ester Mägi & Arvo Pärt: Ester Mägi’s Lapland Yoiks can be paired with works by Arvo Pärt, highlighting her influence as Pärt’s theory teacher. Tähe-Lee’s debut ERP CD of Pärt’s complete piano works received high praise in Gramophone.

    Program is partly in the repertoire of Tähe-Lee’s Recital in Musikdorf Ernen Festival in July 2026.