Opening the recital with Chopin’s Fantasie in F minor, Japanese concert pianist Yuki Negishi presents an inspiring programme of solo piano works spanning two centuries. Not long after the gently swaying Berceuse and its unravelling set of filigree variations come to an end, the listeners are treated to one of Chopin’s greatest compositional achievements: Ballade in A flat Major. An exuberant work, claimed to have been inspired by Adam Mickiewicz’s poem Świtezianka precedes Chopin’s Scherzo No. 3. Written in Valldemossa,…

South African pianist Niel du Preez opens his programme with Scarlatti‘s serene Sonata K208. The composer’s very personal style is instantly recognisable by the use of short themes, dissonant and ambiguous harmonies and an impassioned lyricism. Soler’s D-flat Major Sonata possesses a delightfully uninhibited playfulness and an unabashed exuberance. This is followed by the English Sonata of Joseph Haydn, the first movement (Allegro) of which is one of the most impressive monothematic sonata-form movements. The second movement (Adagio) is one…

The acclaimed Korean concert pianist Grace Yeo begins her all-Schumann recital with the famous Arabesque, which written in a simple rondo form perfectly showcases the composers lyricism and reflective beauty. The opening theme repeats itself three times with contrasting episodes interspersed in between, before ending with a typically Schumann-esque epilogue. Two works by Clara Schumann follow next, her fiery Deuxième Scherzo demonstrating great bravura and virtuosity and a much more serene Romance. The performance reaches its emotional high point in…

In an eclectic programme of repertoire for four hands, festival directors Samantha Ward and Maciej Raginia combine famous works by Fauré and Debussy with new piano transcriptions of some of the most iconic compositions by the Argentine tango composer and bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla. Opening with a suite of six short pieces, which Fauré wrote for Hélène Bardac (the title Dolly), Samantha and Maciej take the listeners on the journey through the composer’s whimsical titles behind which lies a vivid…

The festival director Samantha Ward joins forces with clarinettist Shelley Levy for tonight's recital, opening with the Duo in E flat Major for clarinet and piano by Burgmüller. The work is formed of three contrasting sections, all of which are beautifully lyrical as well as passionate in parts, ending with a dramatic flourish in both instruments, bringing the piece to a brilliant finale. Schumann's Drei Fantasiestücke Op. 73 follow on next in the programme, demonstrating the composer's immense poetry and…

Internationally acclaimed Romanian pianist Madalina Rusu presents a romantic programme, opening with a composition by one of her compatriots, George Enescu. A lyrical and intimate rendition of Romanian folk music, Pavane, introduces the intoxicating sound of the Nai (Romanian pan flute) mixed with a clear French influence. Followed by the charming and tender Schumann’s Arabesque, Madalina offers the audience one of Liszt's most loved and passionate piano works Sonetto 104 based on Petrarca's sonnet in which the poet declares his…

In an eclectic programme of repertoire for four hands, festival directors Samantha Ward and Maciej Raginia combine famous works by Fauré and Debussy with new piano transcriptions of some of the most iconic compositions by the Argentine tango composer and bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla. Opening with a suite of six short pieces, which Fauré wrote for Hélène Bardac (the title Dolly), Samantha and Maciej take the listeners on the journey through the composer’s whimsical titles behind which lies a vivid…

Maite Aguirre is a versatile and imaginative prize-wining pianist. Director of the Music Academy in the Spanish School and piano teacher in St Paul´s Cathedral School, Maite is currently undertaking her doctoral degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Professor Sir Barry Ife and Ronan O’Hora, which allows her to combine her passion for performance and research. Tonight, Maite presents a selection from her second CD (Une soirée à Grende), which explores Debussy’s relationship with Spanish music…

Revered worldwide as the only pianist to have recorded Liszt’s complete oeuvre for solo piano, Leslie Howard joins forces with festival directors Samantha Ward and Maciej Raginia in a rare programme celebrating works for two pianos and six hands by Australian composer Percy Grainger. The evening opens with his fiery English Dance (1924), echoing Rachmaninoff’s virtuosic writing with its rich textures and emotionally charged compositional style. This is followed by Green Bushes (1921) for two pianos, an arrangement of an…

Japanese concert pianist Maiko Mori opens her recital with Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata, written in 1798, at a time when Beethoven was becoming gradually aware of his encroaching deafness and yet was leading a relatively contented domestic life. Unlike most of the nicknames given to Beethoven’s works, Pathétique is believed to have been picked by the composer himself to convey the romantic and even sorrowful mood of the sonata. This is followed by British composer Graham Fitkin’s Frank and Fervent, a…

In an eclectic programme of repertoire for four hands, festival directors Samantha Ward and Maciej Raginia combine famous works by Fauré and Debussy with new piano transcriptions of some of the most iconic compositions by the Argentine tango composer and bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla. Opening with a suite of six short pieces, which Fauré wrote for Hélène Bardac (the title Dolly), Samantha and Maciej take the listeners on the journey through the composer’s whimsical titles behind which lies a vivid…