Nobuyuki Tsujii: Beethoven, Grieg & Tchaikovsky
Hear music crackling with energy, from Beethoven’s fiery Appassionata Sonata to Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, played by one of today’s most dazzling pianists.
Since his joint win at the 2009 Van Cliburn Competition, Nobuyuki Tsujii has quickly risen to international prominence. His playing combines precision, vivid colours and an instinctive sense of singing melody, revealing fresh depths in familiar music.
He opens his exuberant recital with Liszt’s piano transcription of Beethoven’s song cycle An die ferne Geliebte, a meditation on unrequited desire, and continues with the elemental power of Beethoven’s volcanic Appassionata Sonata.
Grieg’s miniature Lyric Pieces are among the composer’s most quirky and charming creations. Tsujii performs a selection, ranging from the touching simplicity of the ‘Arietta’ to the sinister storytelling of ‘March of the Trolls’ and the joyful exuberance of ‘Wedding Day at Troldhaugen’.
To close, pianist/composer Mikhail Pletnev’s solo piano version of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite transforms the beloved ballet music into a glittering keyboard showpiece. Familiar scenes sparkle anew with wonder and winter magic.
Performers
Nobuyuki Tsujii piano
Repertoire
Beethoven: An die ferne Geliebte, Op.98 arr. Liszt for piano (S.469); Piano Sonata in F minor, Op.57 (Appassionata)
Interval
Grieg: Arietta; Waltz from Lyric Pieces, Bk.1, Op.12; Erotic from Lyric Pieces, Bk.3, Op.43; March of the trolls; Nocturne from Lyric Pieces, Bk.5, Op.54; Wedding day at Troldhaugen from Lyric Pieces, Bk.8, Op.65
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Suite, Op.71a arr. Pletnev for piano
Need to know
Box package
You can buy an exclusive box package for this event. More details of our Royal Festival Hall exclusive box package.
Reviews
‘A concert performance that must surely stand as one of the most thrilling, and incredibly thoughtful, ever given anywhere’Limelight
‘His energy seemed to galvanise the audience and I think they were more breathless than the pianist’ClassikON
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
06 Dec 2026, 3pm
Run time
2 hours (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
from £18 + £4 booking fee
Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
Concessions
Learn more about concession discounts
Refunds and exchanges
Find out more about our refund and exchange policy
Multi-buy Autumn/Winter 26/27 discount
3 – 4 events: 10% discount
5 – 7 events: 15% discount
8 – 10 events: 20% discount
11 – 14 events: 25% discount
15+ events: 30% discount
Discounts apply to selected events, September 2026 – January 2027 inclusive. Offer can’t be combined with the Spring/Summer 2026 multi-buy.
Become a Member
Members get free entry to the Hayward Gallery and the first chance to book our entire programme of events, including go-down-in-history gigs, concerts with world-class orchestras, and talks from cultural icons and political giants.
Join today from £60
For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.