Meet Lucas and Arthur Jussen, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra artists in residence for the 24/25 season

Could you tell us a little bit about yourselves?

We are Arthur and Lucas Jussen, two brothers, two pianists. We sometimes play piano four hands, and sometimes on two pianos. It all began with a funny story... During the 1998 football World Cup, the Netherlands did really well. Before each match, we heard the Dutch national anthem, which we thought was just lovely. We had a piano at home, and Lucas liked the tune so much that our mother suggested that he learn it. So it’s all thanks to football that we started playing the piano! We got along really well, and we had the same teacher, who suggested we should play as a duo. And we’ve played together ever since! We just loved that, and we immediately set about exploring the repertoire for duos or four-hand piano.

What have been the highlights of your career?

There are lots of moments and memories which mean a lot to us. The first was probably playing with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra when we were 12 and 15 years old, a huge honour at such a young age. Later on, we accompanied the King and Queen of the Netherlands on a state visit to Australia, where we gave a concert at the Sydney Opera House. The first time we played with an American orchestra – the Boston Symphony Orchestra – conducted by Andris Nelsons, was another highlight of our career. While all of these concerts have been memorable, we also remember our concerts in Salzburg, in a small auditorium with just 200 people. We felt a sense of history, the spirit of Mozart and all the great composers of the past there. Finally, it’s not the size of the hall or the concert that matters, but the atmosphere that is created.

What are you expecting from this residency at the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra?

We hope to share some good times with the musicians and perform some memorable concerts for the public, featuring great music. We would like to showcase the diversity of the repertoire that we play as a duo. Most people think of it as the “poor relation” of classical music, but in reality, it’s full of gems and we’re so happy to be able to share with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra the full diversity of this repertoire: from Mozart to Poulenc or Stravinsky, and some contemporary pieces too.

You have played with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra before: what did you think of it and what connects you with the orchestra?

We have previously played with the orchestra’s musicians at the Mozart Festival, and it was a wonderful experience. We liked their perspective on music, which is very free and open to ideas. This perhaps has something to do with the orchestra’s fantastic musical director, Kazuki Yamada, who has an innate sense of music. We remember the concerto we played in Monaco. It’s one we play a lot, but he brought so many fresh ideas that it was an entirely new Mozart for us! We hope to have other experiences like this with the orchestra. We would also like to express our gratitude to Didier de Cottignies, who is open to new ideas and new repertoires. As you will have noticed, we are impatient to play with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, and very honoured to be artists in residence.

Concert dates: 15 September 2024, 13 April, 22 June and 20 July 2025

Photo credit @ Marco Borggreve