Masterclass – Joonas Ahonen

This masterclass is aimed at students of the piano and is not limited to any specific repertoire. Active participation is free of charge. All those interested in taking part may register via the email address masterclass@festival.cz by sending us their current CV not later than 31 March 2026.

A professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne, Joonas Ahonen was a member of Klangforum Wien for twelve years, where he collaborated with composers such as Tristan Murail and Beat Furrer. He is familiar to the Prague public thanks to his superb performance of Ligeti’s Piano Concerto with Klangforum Wien at Prague Offspring 2023. He presented Makrokosmos by George Crumb at the Salzburg Festival. In addition to music of the 20^th and 21^st centuries, he feels equally at home in works dating from the 18^th and 19^th centuries, which he performs on the fortepiano as well. In 2024 he was appointed Artistic Director of the Finnish ensemble Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, which specialises in contemporary music. He is also artistic partner to violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, with whom he appeared at the Prague Spring in 2025. Their joint album Le monde selon George Antheil (The World According to George Antheil) was described by Britain’s Gramophone magazine as “a miracle”. Joonas Ahonen is attending the festival as a member of the jury of the Prague Spring International Music Competition.