Master Class with Michel Béroff

Prominent French pianist Michel Béroff leads a master class with Xintian Zhu on Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 17 in B-flat Major, K. 570, written in 1789. Originally considered a student-level work, the piece reveals itself to be more difficult than at first glance: elegant passages must be played with control, and intricate subtleties in phrasing are more suited to experienced musicians. The restrained Adagio starts the piece, in stark contrast to the final Allegretto movement that captures Mozart’s signature musical wit. Béroff focuses on articulation and clarity as key takeaways, before leaning into the ambiguity and nuance of the later movement. Béroff is known for his interpretations of Olivier Messiaen’s works, and had served at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris for 25 years. An avid conductor, Béroff has led groups such as the La Scala Chamber Orchestra of Milan, the Russian State Orchestra, and the Orchestre National de Lyon. He has also made various appearances at most major international piano competitions, serving on the juries of the Tchaikovsky, Van Cliburn, Leeds, Clara Haskil, Rubinstein, and Marguerite Long competitions.