ASK the average person on the street to name a classical music composer and Ludwig Van Beethoven is the most likely answer you'll get.

Now the work of the legendary pianist will be celebrated this weekend at the City Halls in Glasgow, with a series of concerts and talks looking at all aspects of the man's life.

It's the second stage in a three-year celebration, having kicked off 12 months ago.

Leading the way in the shows will be Llyr Williams and the Elias String Quartet, who are the artists in residence at the City Halls until 2015.

For Welsh pianist Llyr, the music of Beethoven is something that's clearly excited him since he first learned to play the piano.

"I started playing the piano at seven and started getting into Beethoven soon after that, so I've been playing the sonatas since my school days," he recalls.

"It's something that's been with me ever since and it's always music I've enjoyed."

Llyr's first concert, on Friday night, will look at Beethoven's early work, when the German was in his twenties and making his way in the world, with Llyr performing Beethoven's first three sonatas and the Elias String Quartet performing his early quartets.

The Saturday night will then provide a look at Beethoven's more maverick middle years, from 1801 to 1808, before Llyr will return on Sunday night to conclude the weekend by running through the final three sonatas that Beethoven penned, which should deliver a towering finale.

The weekend will also feature a series of talks, including a chat in the Candleriggs bar with the musicians following the Friday night concert, while other conversations will look at certain pieces in-depth.

For Llyr, it's not just the brilliant music that makes Beethoven so appealing to people today, but other aspects of his life as well.

"He's a romantic figure, I suppose," says Llyr.

"The fact that he became deaf and yet wrote all this great music that he couldn't actually hear is one aspect. There's also such a variety to his music, no two pieces are the same, and that always helps.

"Part of the attraction is that he looked rather scruffy, this rather romantic artist and composer with a Bohemian lifestyle. I guess that's part of the draw, but of course the music can be not as romantic, and can be very worked out and planned.

"There's a balance between that romantic side and the classical side, which you have to bring out in performance."

Given the variety and breadth of Beethoven's work, rattling through so many of his sonatas in one weekend should provide a challenge. It's one that Llyr is looking forward to, though.

"They're all different in style and there's quite a distinct style to each, particularly between the earliest ones and the later ones," says Llyr, who earlier this year released a new CD, Wagner Without Words.

"I'm looking forward to them all in equal measure though. It can be quite a challenge to keep them all ticking over in my head over a weekend.

"I think it'll be about two and a half hours worth of music I'll be playing in my head over the three days, which can be quite challenging, but rewarding too."

A regular visitor to Glasgow for many years, Llyr is fond of the city's classical devotees and the City Halls venue itself.

"There's a wonderful ambience to the City Halls," he says. "It's nice to just go in there and practice in the afternoon. The surroundings are wonderful, and it always seems to be bright whatever the weather.

"They're very knowledgeable in Glasgow, and they're open to all sorts of different music. I've visited Glasgow many times and had a good response every time - they're always appreciative."

He'll be back in November, for a performance with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Yet his current focus is Beethoven, and no matter how many times he plays the sonatas, he always aims to bring something new.

"I try to make my performances as creative as possible and find new things to say as I play the pieces. I try to find a number of new things to find about it every time, so that it doesn't became routine or stale."

l Fore more information, go to www.glasgowconcerthalls.com