Peijun Xu

Born in Shanghai, violist Peijun Xu studied with Roland Glassl in Frankfurt, Nobuko Imai at the Kronberg Academy, and Tabea Zimmermann in Berlin. She has appeared as a soloist with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the German Chamber Philharmonic Bremen, the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn, as well as orchestras in Shanghai, Moscow, Hamburg and elsewhere. Her artistic profile includes several premieres, among them works by Ralf Gothóni, Qigang Chen, and Thorsten Encke.
Xu is a laureate of major international competitions, winning first prize at the Yuri Bashmet Competition and the Max Rostal Competition. Her solo recordings were released by Profil Hänssler and ARS. After teaching in Frankfurt and Cologne, she was appointed Professor of Viola at the Detmold University of Music in 2024.

​​

Terhi Dostal
Finnish pianist Terhi Dostal earned her Doctor of Music degree from the Sibelius Academy Helsinki and a soloist diploma from the Imola Piano Academy. She has performed widely across Europe and in the United States and has received numerous awards and scholarships.
A central focus of her artistic work is the music of Johannes Brahms: she has performed the complete piano works in recital series in Finland, Austria and Germany and released several related recordings. Dostal is also renowned for her sensitive interpretations of Finnish repertoire, documented in radio and CD productions for YLE, BR, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, RBB and others.
In addition to her career as a pianist, she is active as a composer, with works for piano, chamber music, songs, and a mass for choir and orchestra.

Feb. 12, 2026 - 7:30pm

(doors open 6:45pm)

Peijun Xu (viola)
Theri Dostal (piano)

program:

N O R T H E R N   L I G H T S  
music for viola and piano

York Bowen: Sonata No. 1 for viola and piano
In his First Viola Sonata, York Bowen unfolds a warm late-Romantic sound world rich in expression and elegance. The viola takes center stage—lyrical, powerful, and virtuosic—supported by a brilliantly crafted piano part. Lush melodies, sweeping emotional arcs, and glowing harmonies make this rarely heard work a captivating listening experience.

Terhi Dostal: Four ballads for viola and piano
Die Vier Balladen von Terhi Dostal erzählen in konzentrierter Form von inneren Landschaften, Erinnerungen und Stimmungen. Nordisch geprägt, zugleich zeitlos und persönlich, entfalten sie eine intensive Klangsprache zwischen leiser Melancholie und dramatischem Aufbegehren. Viola und Klavier verschmelzen zu einem fein nuancierten, erzählerischen Dialog.

Ralf Gothóni: Peregrina for viola and piano
Peregrina—“the wanderer”—invites the listener on a reflective musical journey marked by movement, stillness, and transformation. Floating textures and expressive melodic lines create a meditative yet tense atmosphere. The viola leads as a narrative voice, guiding the audience through constantly changing emotional spaces.

Edvard Grieg: Sonata in C minor, op. 45

Grieg’s Sonata in C minor is a cornerstone of the romantic viola repertoire—passionate, dramatic, and rich in melodic beauty. Powerful gestures alternate with tender, song-like moments, while distinctive Nordic colors meet virtuosic energy. A work of striking contrasts that grips the listener from the very first note.