Over the course of a week this fall—Oct. 30 through Nov. 6—the AmerKlavier Studio at DePaul University’s School of Music will embark on one of its most ambitious projects to date. Together, 23 talented students, past and present, as well as their professor, internationally renowned pianist Eteri Andjaparidze, will perform the complete cycle of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas. In concerts presented on eight consecutive days, these masterworks will be played in chronological order. All of these programs, which are free and open to the public, will be presented in the DePaul Concert Hall, 800 W. Belden Ave. in Chicago.

“This series of concerts opens up the students’ perception and understanding of one specific composer and musical form in depth, and this understanding will be shared with our audiences,” said Andjaparidze, who created the AmerKlavier Studio, an exceptional program of piano instruction, at DePaul’s School of Music in 2001. “Each student learns one or two sonatas, but, in fact, they thoroughly study all 32 of them as they hear each other play during the preparation period.” It is a project that few educational institutions would dare tackle, yet, for Andjaparidze, the weeks leading up to the concerts allow a rare opportunity to share with her students her own fascination and knowledge of what she calls “Planet Beethoven.”

Andjaparidze will play the monumental “Hammerklavier,” penned at the peak of this composer’s creative powers, at the Nov. 5 concert, and his celebrated final piano sonata, Opus 111, at the final concert Nov. 6.

Beethoven was a pianist before he was a composer—and by all accounts an electrifying and proficient player. Throughout his career, Beethoven’s piano music served as a barometer for his musical agenda. It was always the vehicle for advancing his newest and most revolutionary ideas. These 32 piano sonatas are often considered the New Testament of all instrumental music, with Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier” considered the Old Testament. The sonatas trace Beethoven’s growth and development as one of the greatest artistic creators of all time and illuminate the transition in music history from the Classical to the Romantic period.

Andjaparidze developed the AmerKlavier Studio to provide a nurturing course of study that seeks to address the individual skills and strengths of aspiring pianists through special artistic/educational projects and a concert/colloquium series. Andjaparidze, whose own successful international career has taken her to major music centers around the globe, joined the DePaul School of Music faculty in the fall of 2001. A Grammy-nominated musician, she is recognized internationally as an artist of tremendous versatility, whose vast repertoire embraces all styles and genres of piano playing. She is a winner of the Montreal and Tchaikovsky international piano competitions and has been honored in her native Republic of Georgia with the title “People’s Artist of Georgia.”

Dates, programs and pianists for the Beethoven cycle will be:

Oct. 30 at 3 p.m.:
Opus 2 #1 performed by Tristan Warwick
Opus 2 #2 performed by Hue Jeong Jang
Opus 2 #3 performed by Stephen Cook
Opus 7 performed by Kristijan Civljak

Oct. 31 at 8 p.m.:
Opus 10 #1 performed by Guga Chkhikvadze
Opus 10 #2 performed by Monica Pavel
Opus 10 #3 performed by Eka Sanikidze
Opus 13, “Pathetique,” performed by Hanjin Sa

Nov. 1 at 8 p.m.:
Opus 14 #1 performed by Lisa Zilberman
Opus 14 #2 performed by Monica Pavel
Opus 22 performed by Alena Latchininsky
Opus 26, “Funeral March,” performed by Alexandre Tsomaia
Opus 27 #1 performed by Olga Sklyanskaya
Opus 27 #2, “Moonlight,” performed by Tristan Warwick

Nov. 2 at 8 p.m.:
Opus 28, “Pastoral,” performed by Katia Kravitz
Opus 31 #1 performed by Anna Brandenbursky
Opus 31 #2 performed by Aida Marc
Opus 31 #3 performed by Kristijan Civljak

Nov. 3 at 8 p.m.:
Opus 49 #1 performed by Lydia Kwok
Opus 49 #2 performed by Rebecca Kelch
Opus 53, “Waldstein,” performed by George Oakley
Opus 54 performed by Olga Sklyanskaya
Opus 57, “Appassionata,” performed by Stephen Cook

Nov. 4 at 8 p.m.:
Opus 78 performed by Yiran Zhu
Opus 79 performed by Hanjin Sa
Opus 81a, “Das Lebewohl,” performed by Hue Jeong Jang

Nov. 5 at 8 p.m.:
Opus 90 performed by Chi Can To
Opus 101 performed by Inga Kashakashvili
Opus 106, “Hammerklavier,” performed by Eteri Andjaparidze

Nov. 6 at 3 p.m.:
Opus 109 performed by Katsura Tanikawa
Opus 110 performed by Sayaka Tanikawa
Opus 111 performed by Eteri Andjaparidze

Additionally, on Nov. 12 from noon to 6 p.m., the public is invited to a related workshop that will include a masterclass led by Andjaparidze, a lecture by a guest speaker and a panel discussion.

For more information about the concert series, the workshop or the AmerKlavier Studio, call the DePaul School of Music at (773) 325-7260.