Various Composers - Works for Clarinet and Piano (Jean Johnson; Steven Osborne)

Information

• Gustav Jenner - Clarinet Sonata in G Major, Op. 5
• Robert Schumann - Three Romances, Op. 94
• Clara Schumann - Three Romances, Op. 22
• Carl Maria von Weber - Grand duo concertant, Op. 48

Jean Johnson, clarinet

Steven Osborne, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Linn Records

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Jean Johnson makes her Linn debut alongside pianist Steven Osborne in a richly expressive program of Romantic chamber works. Although no music by Brahms is included, his influence forms the conceptual thread of the recital. Gustav Jenner, Brahms’s only long-term pupil, is represented by his expansive Clarinet Sonata, reflecting his teacher’s stylistic imprint. Arrangements of Romances by Robert and Clara Schumann—close friends and mentors of Brahms—add lyrical intimacy. The album concludes with Weber’s virtuosic Grand Duo Concertant, a fitting finale that recalls the work which famously rekindled Brahms’s enthusiasm for the clarinet.

Jean Johnson is an internationally active chamber musician who has performed at leading venues including the Concertgebouw, Berlin Konzerthaus, Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Palais des Beaux-Arts. A member of the acclaimed trio Metamorphoses, she also maintains a longstanding duo partnership with pianist Steven Osborne. Her festival appearances include Mostly Mozart at Lincoln Center, the Southbank Centre International Chamber Music Series, and the Seattle Chamber Music Society, among many others. Formerly Associate and Acting Principal Clarinet of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, she is now a regular Guest Principal with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Her recordings, including Brahms sonatas for Avie, have received widespread critical praise.

Steven Osborne (born 1971) is one of Britain’s most distinguished pianists, celebrated for his profound musical insight and refined artistry across a remarkably broad repertoire, from Beethoven and Schubert to Messiaen, Ravel, Prokofiev, and jazz improvisation. Recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist of the Year Award, two BBC Music Magazine Awards, and two Gramophone Awards, he has built an extensive and critically acclaimed discography with Hyperion. A frequent guest with major international orchestras and at leading venues worldwide, Osborne is also a prizewinner of the Clara Haskil and Naumburg competitions. In 2022, he was appointed OBE for services to music.