Legendary pianist Rudolf Buchbinder with the Staatskapelle Dresden at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing in 2019. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

BEIJING - Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder kicked off the first of his seven concerts in Beijing on Tuesday night, performing Beethoven piano sonatas at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA).

The 76-year-old piano virtuoso, renowned for his exceptional interpretations of Beethoven's music, will perform the complete collection of 32 Beethoven piano sonatas during his tour in Beijing that will end on May 17

The 76-year-old piano virtuoso, renowned for his exceptional interpretations of Beethoven's music, will perform the complete collection of 32 Beethoven piano sonatas during his tour in Beijing that will end on May 17.

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"(Performing) a concert is always a challenge," said the musician. "(For the audience) this is a fantastic discovery of new pieces that are seldom, practically never played."

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Buchbinder performed the complete piano sonatas of Beethoven for the first time in China at the 15th Beijing Music Festival in 2012.

In this photo taken on July 2, 2012, Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder presents his piano shaped bar in Vienna, Austria. To watch and hear Rudolf Buchbinder in concert is to experience the totality of perfect phrasing, magnificent technique and an unparalleled love of his instrument that has placed him among the top tier of the world's pianists. He is a passionate collector of objects as diverse as dog's squeaky rubber piano toy, hundreds of classic movie DVDs and dozens of first editions of rare classical scores. He is a masterful raconteur moving freely within minutes from music to soccer, to painting, the pleasures of Vienna, to yet something else that is completely unrelated. (PHOTO / AP)

In May 2019, he joined Staatskapelle Dresden as the pianist and conductor to stage Beethoven's five piano concertos in Beijing.

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Tuesday's performance is part of this year's NCPA May Festival, which began on May 1 and will last till May 27.

The festival brings performances of musicians from home and abroad, including world-renowned French violinist Renaud Capucon and celebrated Chinese cellist Wang Jian.