German-Colombian conductor and pianist Anna Handler will serve as Artist in Residence at the Beethoven-Haus Bonn during the 2026–27 season, marking the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death.
According to an announcement by the Beethoven-Haus, the residency will include four concerts in which Handler will appear in multiple roles — as solo pianist, chamber musician, and conductor. The programmes and concert dates will be announced at a later stage.
The residency forms part of a broader Beethoven focus in Handler’s artistic work during the coming months. The musician, born in 1996, is expected to explore Beethoven’s repertoire with several orchestras with which she is currently associated, including the Ulster Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The Beethoven-Haus has invited young performers as Artists in Residence for several years, encouraging them to engage intensively with Beethoven’s music and legacy. Handler’s appointment comes during a particularly symbolic season, as institutions worldwide prepare events commemorating the bicentenary of the composer’s death in 1827.
The residency will also be documented by filmmaker Jason Scheunemann, who will follow Handler’s work during the project.
In a statement released by the Beethoven-Haus, Handler described the residency as an opportunity to deepen her connection with the composer at the place where he was born.
“It fills me with deep gratitude to be closely connected with the Beethoven-Haus Bonn as Artist in Residence during the 2026/2027 anniversary season,” she said. “Beethoven has accompanied me for many years, but in the coming season he will move especially to the centre of my artistic work.”
Handler is currently designated chief conductor of the Ulster Orchestra and Kapellmeister at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, while also serving as assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra until August 2026. Earlier in her career she was a Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
In addition to conducting, Handler is active as a pianist and chamber musician. She founded the ensemble Enigma Classica and has collaborated with artists including Arabella Steinbacher, Daniel Müller-Schott and Sabine Meyer. She also performs regularly in duo with her sister, violinist Laura Handler.
Handler studied at The Juilliard School, where she completed her master’s degree in 2023 and became the first conductor to receive the Kovner Fellowship. Her recent conducting engagements have included appearances with orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic, and the hr-Sinfonieorchester. In 2025 she conducted both the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood.
The Beethoven-Haus has not yet released further details about the residency concerts.
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