WHO:

• Daniel Adam Maltz, internationally acclaimed fortepianist and Aiken native, now based in Vienna, Austria. Maltz will perform with the Aiken Symphony in the season-opening concert. While he is in town he will also lead a special master class for music students.

• Scott Weiss, Aiken Symphony Music Director & Conductor, available for interviews in advance of the season-opening concert.

WHAT:

• Aiken Symphony kicks off its 2025–2026 concert season with a homecoming performance by Daniel Adam Maltz.

• Prior to the performance, Maltz will hold a Master Class for local music students—an excellent interview opportunity for compelling visuals and sound.

• Media are invited to cover the class and conduct interviews with Maltz immediately following.

• Additional interview opportunities are available with Music Director Scott Weiss to discuss the Symphony’s new season.

WHEN/WHERE: 

• Tuesday, September 16, Class: 1:00–2:00 p.m., Interview Availability: 2:15 p.m. (Maltz) at Etherredge Center at the University of South Carolina Aiken, 340 Scholar Loop, Aiken, SC 29801

• Thursday, September 18 – Columbia, SC (Weiss)

• Friday, September 19 – Aiken, SC, Interview Availability with Scott Weiss & David Adam Maltz: 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

WHY:

• This event offers a unique opportunity to spotlight a local talent who has gained international acclaim and is returning home to inspire the next generation of musicians, while also previewing the exciting season ahead with Aiken Symphony.

From Aiken to Vienna and Back – An Introduction to the Fortepiano

Aiken, SC: The Aiken Symphony opens its 2025-26 season with a performance reminiscent of the glittering concerts once held at the Esterházy Palace in Austria. Internationally acclaimed fortepianist Daniel Adam Maltz returns to Aiken, his hometown, for an evening of Classical-era gems on Friday, September 19, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at the Amentum Center.

 Based in Vienna, Maltz specializes in Viennese Classicism and is known for his historically informed interpretations of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. He performs on the fortepiano, the predecessor of the modern piano, favored by composers of the Classical era for its dynamic range and expressive nuance. Touring over 50 cities a year, often with his own instrument, Maltz has been hailed as “the foremost performer in the world of the fortepiano” (Aspen Daily News). He was raised by a musical family in Aiken, and his father served as a music professor at USC Aiken for two decades. Maltz moved to Europe for his collegiate fortepiano training, studying in Vienna and London.

Maltz opens the program with Mozart’s Keyboard Sonata No. 17 in B-flat Major, transporting listeners to the heart of the Classical period. Mozart favored the fortepiano over the harpsichord for its broader dynamic range and more nuanced tone, which allowed for greater expressive depth in his music.

The Aiken Symphony then takes the stage with Haydn’s Symphony No. 7 in C major, composed during the early years of his decades-long post as music director at the Esterházy Palace. Haydn significantly developed and popularized the symphonic form through his impressive output of 106 symphonies, earning him the title “Father of the Symphony.”

Maltz returns for Beethoven’s “Andante favori,” a tender miniature believed to be a declaration of Beethoven’s affection for Countess Josephine Brunsvik, possibly the composer’s mysterious “immortal beloved” detailed in his passionate love letter from the summer of 1812. 

The evening concludes with Haydn’s Keyboard Concerto in D Major, his final and most frequently performed concerto, ending with a spirited Hungarian-style rondo. Join us for this exceptional event as Maltz and his fortepiano bring the Classical tradition vividly to life in Aiken!

Tickets: Single tickets are $45 and seating is general admission. Active military members can receive $10 off per ticket, and students under the age of 25 are eligible for a student rate of $10. To inquire about these discounts, please contact the office at 803.295.0313. Tickets are available via the website (aikensymphony.com) or by contacting the number above. They can be printed at home, picked up at the venue one hour before the concert starts, or received on one’s mobile device and presented to an usher.

Pre-Concert Talk “Illuminations”: Please note there will not be a pre-concert talk prior to this concert.