"a luscious recital"

American Record Guide

UNHEARD HARMONIES

Tonight our outstanding young artists have joined forces to perform sonatas by two unjustly neglected Edwardian women composers alongside lesser-known works by Beethoven and Vaughan Williams, the Seven Variations on Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, and Six Studies in English Folk Song respectively. All the compositions are hidden gems of the cello and piano repertoire that deserve a wider audience. Join us to celebrate a programme of musical revelations.

Tonight's Programme:

Rebecca Clarke - Sonata for Cello (Viola) and Piano

Vaughan Williams - Six Studies in English Folk Song

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L. van Beethoven - Seven Variations on a Theme from Mozart's Magic Flute 'Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen', WoO 46

Dora Pejačević - Sonata for Cello and Piano

Cellist Lydia Hillerudh was born into a musical family in Stockholm, Sweden - she is in fact the oldest out of seven sisters who all grew up playing the cello. In 2022, she was awarded the coveted Swedish music award for string players, the Jä rnå ker prize. Lydia is currently active in the UK and Sweden, mainly as a chamber musician and soloist. Recent highlights have included performing concertos by Schumann and Elgar with Henley Symphony Orchestra and Wyatt Sinfonia, and performing chamber music at festivals such as Kempten, Ashwell, Buxton, Islington, Dartington and Romsey. As an orchestral principal and co-principal, she regularly guests chamber orchestras such as Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Musica Vitae and Vä sterå s Sinfonietta. She has a particular interest in music that is rarely performed, whether that is contemporary music or forgotten gems from the past, and enjoys bringing these pieces into her repertoire. Lydia is featured on several discs of contemporary chamber music: ‘Lunaris’, music by Jonathan OV stlund, ‘Translations’, music by Peter Dickinson and ‘In Passing’, music by Giles Easterbrook (with the Tritium Trio). Lydia is a sought-after teacher, and teaches cello, chamber music and orchestra at the music school Lilla Akademien in Stockholm, Sweden. In addition to her teaching, she is also an avid arranger and her arrangement for string orchestras and ensembles have been performed all over the UK and Scandinavia. Lydia studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Mats Lidströ m and Robert Cohen, and was also awarded a Chamber Music Fellowship at the Academy with the Tritium Trio after graduating.

Cristian Sandrin is a London-based pianist of Romanian heritage. Born into a family of musicians, he has been surrounded by classical music all his life, making his debut at the historic Romanian Atheneum Concert Hall in Bucharest at the age of 13. At 19 he was accepted into the Royal Academy of Music, London, where he studied under professors Diana Ketler and Christopher Elton, before making his solo debut at the Wigmore Hall in 2017. He has won many awards, including the Roslyn Tureck Special Prize for the best inter- pretation of Bach at the 2019 International Piano Competition in Albuquerque NM. Critics on both sides of the Atlantic have praised him for his immaculate technique, crystalline clarity and mature inter- pretations. He has recently had his Konzerthaus Berlin solo debut and LSO St Luke's in London. His debut Cd "Correspondances" (Antarctica Label) has been praised by the BBC Music Magazine and has been voted as the Recording of the Month by the Piano News magazine in Germany, featuring on radio stations across Europe: Radio France Musique, RAI Tre, Bayerische Rundfunk, Rundfunk Berlin, Radio Romania Muzical. In 2025 Cristian prepares exciting debuts at St John Smith Square in London, Beethovenhaus in Bonn and Serate Musicali in Milan.

Sumptuous harmonies, heart-wrenching melodies, intrigue, comedy, and high drama exemplify the golden age of Italian opera, and nowhere more so than in the work of these three legends: Verdi, Bellini and Rossini. Now, experience pianistic spectacle squared, as not one but two Italian virtuosos take on these masters at the keyboard, bringing you some of the most loved and celebrated operatic music arranged for piano four-hands in an evening of spirit-rousing sound and prodigious showmanship.

PROGRAMME:

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Nabucco (Overture)

La Traviata (Overture)

La Traviata (Brindisi - Libiamo ne' lieti calici)

The Force of Destiny(Overture)

Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835)

Norma (Ouverture)

Norma (Casta Diva)

Interval

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

The Italian Girl in Algiers (Overture)

The Barber of Seville (Overture)

The Barber of Seville (Largo al factotum)

William Tell (Overture)

Italian pianist Alessandro Licchetta has won numerous national and international competitions and has performed, as a soloist or in chamber ensembles, at various festivals and concert venues, such as the "Festival Terra tra due mari" in Gallipoli at the Castello Angioino; the “Camerata Musicale Salentina” in Castro at the Aragonese Castle; in Galatina “I Concerti del Chiostro” at the Cavallino Bianco Theatre; in Lecce the “Maggio Salentino” at the Apollo Theatre, the “Festival del XVIII Secolo” at the Palmieri Foundation, “Strade Maestre” at the Cantieri Teatrali Koreja; in Martina Franca “Pianolab”. He has also collaborated with the Valente Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Maestro Giuseppe Guida, and with the Balletto del Sud.

In 2021, together with the maestros Enrico Tricarico, Gabriella Stea and Andrea Sequestro, Alessandro created the record publication "Rêve d'amour" dedicated to the piano work of the Gallipoli composers Francesco Luigi Bianco and Angelo Schirinzi. He was Technical Director, on behalf of the Seraphicus association of Nardò, of the first edition of the “Premio Vittoria De Donno” International Music Competition held in Lecce from 4 to 8 June 2018 and is Artistic Director of the Festival del Capo di Leuca and of the events “Parla Piano” and “Piano|Mediano”. He is a founding member and President of the social promotion association Eleusi of Corsano (Italy). Alessandro teaches Piano at the I.C. "TO. De Blasi” of Taviano (Italy). In addition to his musical studies, he obtained a Master's Degree in Law from the University of Salento and subsequently the qualification to practice law.

Andrea Sequestro has enjoyed success at many competitions including at the International Music Competition "Erik Satie" of Lecce, the International Music Competition "La Vallonea" in Tricase (LE), the International Music Competition "Le Nouveau Jongleur" of Ruffano (LE) , the International Music Competition "Salento Music Competition" and "Le Nouveau Jongleur" of Ruffano, and the “ Concorso Nazionale Premio Musica Italia” of Barletta, il "Magnificat Lupiae" of Lecce. Andrea received his Bachelor Degrees in Piano with full marks ,honors and mention from both the “Tito Schipa” Conservatory of Lecce and the" T. Schipa” Conservatory of Lecce. He is currently attending the piano specialization course at the Musical Academy of Pescara under the guidance of Maestro Pasquale Iannone. He has performed in various festivals and concert institutions, such as the "Tithonos Festival" in Vaste (LE); in Lecce the "Maggio Salentino" at the Apollo Theater, the "18th Century Festival" at the Palmieri Foundation, "Strade Maestre" at the Cantieri Teatrali Koreja, “Classiche Forme” in Lecce under the artistic direction of Beatrice Rana, "Tempo di musica" in Galatone, Fundacion Eutherpe in Leon (Spain).

Andrea has also collaborated with con il M° Corrado De Bernart in the realization of a series of conferences on the life of Gioachino Rossini, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the disappearance of the composer through the execution of transcriptions for four hands of the most famous Rossinian overtures, and on the American musical scene of the XVII-XIX century, placing particular focus on the music of Louis Moreau Gottschalk, ragtime and George Gershwin. He is a founding member and secretary of the Association Eleusi of Corsano (Lecce).

Book your tickets here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-musical-legacy-of-eta-hoffmann-pianist-cristian-sandrin-tickets-841506056267?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

The World of E.T.A. Hoffmann | Cristian Sandrin, piano recital

Get ready for an enchanting evening at the National Liberal Club aa pianist and co-artistic director, Cristian Sandrin, takes you on a mesmerizing journey into The World of E.T.A. Hoffmann. Prepare to be captivated by haunting music inspired the mysterious tales of Hoffmann. Sandrin will transport you to a realm where music and storytelling intertwine in perfect harmony, where the music of R. Schumann, P. Grainger, J. Brahms and P.I.Tchaikovski is revealed in conjuction with the fantastic imaginary of E.T.A. Hoffmann's world.

Join us for this extraordinary event in the extraordinary venue of the National Liberal Club in Central London.

Programme:

P. Grainger: Flowers Waltz

E.T.A. Hoffmann: Sonata

J. Brahms: Four Ballades op. 10

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P.I.Tchaikovsky (arr. Pletnev): Nutcracker Suite

R. Schumann: Kreisleriana