Beethoven: Piano Concerto 3 • Vincent Ong • Dr Peter Jesudason • Selangor Philharmonic • Malaysia

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN ( 1770 - 1827 )

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor Op. 37
I Allegro con Brio
II Largo
III Rondo: Allegro

By the time the 3rd piano concerto was composed in 1800 , Beethoven had firmly established himself as the foremost virtuoso pianist in Europe. The work underwent several revisions before Beethoven gave its first performance in 1803. The long gestation is perhaps reflective of Beethoven’s desire to produce a work which would compare favourably with Mozart, a composer whom he greatly admired. Beethoven’s reputation as a composer in Vienna was rising due to a steady flow of masterworks which were emanating from his pen but he was still in the shadow of Mozart who had reached immortal status following his death.

Beethoven is clearly paying homage to Mozart by modelling this concerto on Mozart’s 24th Piano Concerto in C minor K491. Beethoven’s love for this concerto is evident in a popular anecdote which recounts Beethoven and the pianist Johann Cramer walking together when they heard the finale of the Mozart concerto coming from a nearby house - Beethoven stopped and exclaimed: “Cramer, Cramer! We shall never be able to do anything like that!”. Apart from the C minor key, even the opening theme of the concerto is a quote from the Mozart concerto.

Programme notes by Dr Peter Jesudason


VINCENT ONG was born in Penang, Malaysia in 2001. He started piano lessons at the age of four and very soon developed a passion for classical music. Vincent has actively been taking part in concerts as piano soloist, accompanist and concerto soloist.
He performed at the 10th International Moscow Meets Friends Festival under the aegis of the Vladimir Spivakov Charity Foundation in 2013. He has distinguished himself in piano competitions, being the Gold Prize Winner at the 6th ASEAN International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015. He was the Piano and Orchestra prize winner and recipient of the Amici del Pianoforte scholarship at the 12th San Daniele International Piano Meeting, Italy in 2016.
Vincent is privileged to be under the tutelage of the renowned Malaysian pianist and composer, Ng Chong Lim and Professor Natalia Trull of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Russia.
Vincent aspires to be a concert pianist and is making preparations to further his studies abroad.


DR PETER JEBASEELAN JESUDASON was born in Penang and began playing the violin at the age of six. He completed his secondary education at Bryanston School, UK where he was a music scholar ( past scholars have included Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Mark Elder and Mark Wigglesworth ).
He read Medicine at Cambridge and pursued his musical interests and education in parallel with his medical studies. Whilst at Cambridge, he formed the Cambridge Chamber Orchestra, tackling major works of the symphonic repertoire and accompanying distinguished soloists in concerto performances.
He has taken part in numerous concerts as conductor, violin soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player. He was 1st violin in the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra ( President Sir Simon Rattle ) and the Endellion Festival Orchestra ( Artistic Director Sir Richard Hickox ).
In Malaysia he has conducted the National Symphony Orchestra and founded the Malaysian Symphony Orchestra in 2001, conducting a Royal Charity Concert with the orchestra featuring the Leeds International Competition Prize winner, Noriko Ogawa.
Dr Jesudason is a Consultant Cardiologist working in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He would like to dedicate his contribution to this concert in honour and memory of his late mother, Ruby Selvaranee Saravanamuthu.