Thomas Beijer: pianist and composer

‘A modern-day uomo universale’. This is how the committee of the Nederlandse Muziekprijs (Dutch Music Award) described Thomas Beijer in 2022 when awarding him the highest state honour in music. Beijer is a pianist, composer, arranger, illustrator, animation filmmaker and writer, and will today present his new string quartet for the Meccore String Quartet. He will also take place behind the piano himself for piano quintets by the 19th-century composers Johannes Brahms and Julius Zarębski. ‘The Meccore String Quartet is without doubt the best Polish quartet ever,’ says Günter Pichler, primarius of the legendary Alban Berg Quartet. The Meccore String Quartet has made a big splash on the international scene since it was founded in 2007, particularly with their stunning recording of the Penderecki string quartets. In addition to Brahms’ famous Piano Quintet, they and Thomas Beijer are now performing the rarely heard but wonderful quintet by Juliusz Zarębski.