Speaking cheerfully over the phone in their car, it seems Lucas and Arthur Jussen are unfazed by their hectic schedule. They’re on their way to Dortmund, having just touched down in Amsterdam with barely a moment between concerts.

Lucas sets the scene. “Tonight is Dortmund – we still need to drive for about two hours, then we have a quick rehearsal and at six o’clock we have a concert. We go to Budapest on Monday, to Prague on Tuesday, and then we go to Luxembourg on the weekend. The gasoline is very cheap there! So, with everything that’s happening now in the world, that’s very good.”

Arthur and Lucas Jussen. Photo © Marco Borggreve

It’s a snapshot of a life at full throttle, and one the brothers are accustomed to.

The program that evening matches the pace and pairs Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion with Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and, fittingly, Short Ride in a Fast Machine by John Adams.

That same sense of energy characterises their upcoming Australian and New Zealand tour, even if the repertoire looks more classical on paper.

As Arthur...