Metaphors for sonata form abound, but very few of these (a hero’s journey, a debate, a three-tiered cake) make this classical structure as relevant and as accessible as Tamara Stefanovich’s relating it to a paper doll: One unchanging silhouette wearing radically different costumes across baroque, classical, and modern eras. When Stefanovich returns to Portland Piano International on February 8, prepare to be plunged into a realm of sound spanning the gamut of musical invention and pianistic development.

First come father J.S. Bach and son C.P.E. Bach establishing the blueprint, then three jewel-like Scarlatti sonatas compressing entire worlds into minutes, and Antonio Soler’s Spanish melancholy concentrated to almost unbearable density. Then watch as Bartók explodes that same form from within—percussive, folk-inflected, straining against its container yet somehow more focused because of it—before Hindemith proves that 20th-century invention and neoclassical discipline can coexist in perfect balance. By the end of this recital, expect to be deeply nourished musically, and to have a completely new understanding of how the same structure can underpin vastly diverse soundscapes.

One of the world’s leading interpreters of contemporary piano repertoire, Stefanovich brings great authority to the PPI stage. Her Grammy-nominated recording of Bartók’s Concerto with Pierre-Laurent Aimard and the London Symphony Orchestra under Pierre Boulez proves she understands what this music demands. She regularly performs with The Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and London Symphony Orchestra at venues including Wigmore Hall and Philharmonie Berlin. Her innovative band SDLW won the German Record Critics’ Award in 2024. This is more than great music played beautifully—it is an afternoon that reimagines the musical conversation between centuries.

Single ticket prices: Keyboard view $63 Non-keyboard view $53