Of the American pianist Jonathan Biss, the Guardian recently observed that "he has few peers as a Schumann pianist today".

Jonathan Biss placed Schumann at the heart of his recital as he paired the composer’s captivating 'Fantasiestücke' with his intimate, characterful 'Davidsbündlertänze'. Highlighting the strong connections these works have with Janácek’s 'On the overgrown path', Biss crafted a rich texture by interspersing movements from the Janácek with the Schumann, as he subtly created each colourful sound world in mere moments.

Jonathan Biss made his New York recital debut in 2000 and, in early 2001, he performed with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Kurt Masur. His European career was launched in 2002 when he became the first American to be selected as a BBC New Generation Artist, winning a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award the following year. He made his recital debut at Carnegie Hall in January 2011.

In 2010, Biss was appointed to the piano faculty at his alma mater Curtis Institute. As part of his teaching career, Jonathan Biss became the first classical musician to partner with Coursera. Together they created 'Exploring Beethoven’s Piano Sonata's', a free video course on several of Beethoven's most famous sonatas, which attracted more than 32,000 students.

Throughout his career, Biss has been particularly noted for his immersive focus on single composers. In 2011 he released the eBook 'Beethoven's Shadow', a 19,000 word meditation on the art of performing Beethoven's piano sonatas, and he was the first Classical musician to be commissioned to write a Kindle eBook. Shortly after Onyx Classics released the first of Biss’ recordings of the complete Beethoven Sonatas.

Biss dedicated his 2012-2013 season to Robert Schumann, declaring himself to be "a fanatic for every note Schumann wrote". The project was entitled 'Schumann: Under the Influence' and explored Schumann's influences and his legacy. Biss performed a series of concerts internationally with pieces by Schumann's predecessors and composers who have been influenced by his music, such as Leoš Janácek, Alban Berg, György Kurtág and Timo Andres.

Recorded live, 22 May 2013.