“When playing together as a duo, it’s all about anticipating what the other is doing,” explains Arthur Jussen—and that’s exactly how they sound: not a sheet of paper fits between their tones as they make the piano sing beautifully.

For the classical music world, Lucas and his three-and-a-half-year younger brother Arthur are a true stroke of luck, combining the glamour of pop stars with the seriousness of classical music. The duo made its debut at the Ruhr Piano Festival in 2018 and has been a regular guest every year since—except for the pandemic year of 2020. “We love diverse programs with many different facets,” they say about their performances.

And one more thing is typical of the straw-blond brothers from the Netherlands: who plays the primo or secondo part is decided by a coin toss for each piece. “We like this variety because otherwise, it would be boring.”

Program:

Johann Sebastian Bach: Sheep May Safely Graze, BWV 208 (arr. Mary Howe)

Johann Sebastian Bach: Come Now, Saviour of the Heathen, BWV 599 (arr. György Kurtág)
Johann Sebastian Bach: God’s Time Is the Very Best Time, BWV 106 (arr. György Kurtág)

Hanna Kulenty: VAN… (2014) for piano four hands

Franz Schubert: Fantasy in F Minor, D 940

Franz Schubert: Rondo in A Major, D 951
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Six Morceaux, Op. 11