Album out now: Justus Eichhorn "The Source"

Album features music by J.S. Bach, Czerny, Hindemith, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Schubert and R. Strauss, alongside a Vivaldi arrangement and the world premiere recordings of three of Eichhorn’s own works.

Berlin, 11 September 2026. Deutsche Grammophon today releases The Source, the debut album from Weimar-born pianist and composer Justus Eichhorn. At just 16, Eichhorn is already one of the most exceptional and distinctive classical artists of his generation and has given sell-out performances at prestigious venues from Hamburg and Zurich to Shenzhen and Seoul. His charisma, authenticity and creative use of social media (@justus.pianist) have helped him build an impressive international profile. With half a million followers and counting, he is attracting classical fans and new listeners of all ages to his live appearances as well as his online content.

The Source traces the rich musical history of Eichhorn’s birthplace through works by composers closely connected with Weimar, including J.S. Bach, Hindemith, Mendelssohn, Liszt and R. Strauss. Showcasing Eichhorn’s talents both as an interpreter and as a composer in his own right, the album is out now digitally and on CD, with a selection of tracks also set to be issued on vinyl.

The album includes Eichhorn’s own arrangement of the Largo from Vivaldi’s Flautino Concerto, RV 443, alongside Liszt’s Ständchen (after Schubert), Eichhorn’s Silent Fields and Czerny’s Étude, Op. 740 No. 14 – all previously released as singles in the lead-up to today’s album release.

“From the moment Justus first came to my attention, I immediately sensed a remarkable young talent with an individual musical voice and genuine artistic curiosity. Even at this early stage in his career, he brings together pianistic sensitivity, compositional imagination and a natural ability to connect with audiences, both on stage and online. I am delighted to be working with him and look forward to accompanying his artistic development in the months and years ahead,” says Marc Fritsch, Senior Director Marketing Special Projects & Developing Artists Deutsche Grammophon.

On The Source, Eichhorn performs Bach’s Italian Concerto – inspired by the genre pioneered by Vivaldi – and the Adagio in D minor after Marcello. Bach served as Konzertmeister at Weimar’s ducal court. Eichhorn also includes Liebestraum No. 3, Mephisto Waltz No. 1 and further works by Liszt, who served as Kapellmeister extraordinaire at the same court 150 years later. Originally setting a poem by Goethe, Schubert’s Heidenröslein is heard here in the arrangement by Alfred Cortot.

Mendelssohn, a guest of Goethe in Weimar, is represented by one of the Lieder ohne Worte (Op. 30 No. 1), and Richard Strauss, another of the city’s notable Kapellmeisters, by Reger’s piano transcription of the song Morgen. Eichhorn was also keen to reference the Bauhaus school, established in Weimar by architect Walter Gropius. His search for suitable works led him to the piano cycle In einer Nacht by Hindemith, a composer closely associated with the Bauhaus movement.

The recording also opens a window onto Eichhorn’s daily practice. His clips of music by Czerny – Liszt’s piano teacher – are among his most popular online content. Two studies appear on the album, one in its original form and one in the pianist’s slowed-down version as well as in the original version with a twist. “I wanted to try something new,” he says. “My goal was to create a salon-style atmosphere and transform the turbulent études into something more meditative.”

As well as the Vivaldi arrangement, The Source features the world premiere recordings of three original works by Eichhorn. As he explains, his own music tends to emerge from improvisation: “I start with images in my mind’s eye, and translate their mood and movement into sound.”

The release marks the beginning of Eichhorn’s recording journey with Deutsche Grammophon. Looking ahead to his future development, Deutsche Grammophon and Universal Music are committed to providing him with close, personalised support. The label will place particular emphasis on offering him long-term and responsible guidance, supporting him on both an artistic and a personal level.

Justus Eichhorn was born into a family of musicians in Weimar in 2009. He began improvising on the piano at three, started lessons at six and made his debut at ten, performing Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D major. Since then he has given both solo recitals and concerto performances worldwide, including a tour of China in 2025. Among his numerous awards are first prize at the 2019 Carl Bechstein Competition in Berlin, the 2021 Elba Festival Prize and the 2022 Swiss Charity Award.

As well as attending Weimar’s Musikgymnasium Schloss Belvedere, where he also studies conducting, Justus Eichhorn is a pupil of Grigory Gruzman at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt. When not practising, studying or touring, he loves skiing and playing football.

In the 2026-27 season he will complete a Beethoven piano concerto cycle by performing No. 4 at venues across Germany and in the Czech city of Hradec Králové. He will also give recitals in France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

2026-27 tour dates:

• 19 Sep – Six-Fours-les-Plages, 20 Sep – Uchaux, 3 Oct – Burrweiler (recitals)
• 11 Oct – Liederhalle, Stuttgart, 17 Oct – Freudenstadt, 18 Oct – Öhringen (Beethoven 4)
• 30 Oct – Speyer, 31 Oct – Villa Musica, Schloss Engers, 1 Nov – Mozartsaal, Stuttgart (recitals)
• 19 Nov – Heilbronn, 20 Nov – Ulm, 21 Nov – Fürth (Beethoven 4)
• 28 Nov – Allerheiligen-Hofkirche, Munich, 5 Dec – Villa Elisabeth, Berlin, 10 Dec – Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg (recitals)
• 8 Jan – Tonhalle, Zurich (Beethoven 4), 22 Jan – Nuremberg (recital), 28 Jan – Hradec Králové, Czech Republic (Beethoven 4)
• 12 Feb – Itzehoe, 14 Feb – Langen (Beethoven 4), 21 Mar – Polling (recital)
• 16 Apr – Sion, Switzerland, 18 Apr – Landeron, Switzerland, 22 Apr – Ehrbar Saal, Vienna, 23 May – Freinsheim (recitals)