RBC International Piano Festival 2019

We are delighted to invite you to our Royal Birmingham Conservatoire International Piano Festival (Pascal Nemirovski, Artistic Director) where some of the most celebrated pianists will share their knowledge during four days with 17 exceptional young pianists coming from all over the world.

To launch the Festival, we welcome Peter Frankl, Markus Groh, Boris Slutsky along with our young protégé Daniel Lebhardt for the Opening Gala Piano recital. Stephen Hough, Stephen Kovacevich, Margaret Fingerhut, John Thwaites and Pascal Nemirovski will also work with our talented young pianists through classes and Masterclasses which will be running freely Sunday-Tuesday inclusive.

Then, most of our Young Artists will play a 30 minutes exciting programme in the Recital Hall. Peter Donohoe and Emma Bloxham (BBC Radio 3 Producer) will listen to everyone and will subsequently invite three young Artists to repeat their programme in the Young Artists’ Closing Gala Festival Recital along with Lauren Zhang, BBC Young Artist 2018 who is currently studying at the RBC Junior department.

Our festival remains a unique environment for tomorrow’s star pianists to hone their musical personalities and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire provides the perfect backdrop for both inspiration and learning.

Sat 15 June
OPENING GALA PIANO RECITAL

7.30pm - £15 (£10)

Stephen Kovacevich and John Thwaites piano
Mozart Variations in G

Boris Slutsky piano
Chopin Polonaise Fantasie
Chopin Etude Op.25 No.7

Markus Groh piano
Chopin Barcarolle Op.60
Brahms Intermezzi Op.117

Daniel Lebhardt piano
Britten Night Piece
Knussen Ophelia's Last Dance
Brahms Klavierstücke Op.119

Peter Frankl piano
Schumann Kindersenen

BOOK NOW

MON 17 JUNE
YOUNG ARTISTS

10.30am - 9.30pm - £15 (£12) or £5 per recital (tickets available on the door only)

16 of our fantastic young pianists each perform a 30-minute programme, competing for the grand prize of £1,000.

Adjudicated by Peter Donohoe CBE and Emma Bloxham (BBC Radio 3 Producer)

10.30am - 11.30am
Simon Bürki
Robert Schumann Études Symphoniques, Op.13

Alice Burla
JS Bach Duetto in E major, BWV 802
Haydn Sonata in G major, Hob. XVI:6
Debussy from Images (1ere serie)
II. Hommage à Rameau
III. Mouvement
Messiaen Regard de l'esprit de joie (Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus)

Luigi Carroccia
Chopin Nocturne Op.27 No.2
Nocturne Op.62 No.1
Nocturne Op.9 No.2
Barcarolle Op.60

12.10pm - 13.10pm

Domonkos Csabay
Haydn Andante and Variations in F minor, Hob. XVII:6 
Liszt Variations on a Theme of a Bach Cantata "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen" S.180

Salomé Chitaia
Chopin Ballade No.4 in F minor, Op.52 
Debussy Images, Book 1 
Rachmaninoff Étude-Tableau in E flat minor, Op. 9, No.5

1.45pm - 2.45pm

Natalie Gabrielli
Schumann Carnaval, Op.9

Natanel Grinshtein
Scarlatti Sonata in E major, K.162
Scarlatti Sonata in B minor, K. 27
Scriabin Sonata No.3 in F sharp minor, Op.23

2.55pm - 3.55pm

Andrei Ivanov
Schubert Klavierstücke, D.946
Stravinsky Trois mouvements de Petrouchka

Emmanuil Ivanov
JS Bach Choral prelude “Nun komm’ der Heiden Heiland” (transcription by F Busoni)
Busoni Elegy No.2 “All’Italia!” 
Liszt Après une lecture du Dante, Fantasia quasi Sonata

4.05pm - 5.05pm

Yoonji Kim
Mozart Sonata No.18 in D major, KV 576
Chopin Nocturne in B major, Op.62, No.1
Scriabin Fantasie in B minor, Op.28

Roman Kosyakov
Rachmaninoff Ten Preludes, Op.23

5.15pm - 6.15pm

Franck Laurent-Grandpré
Wagner/Liszt Liebestod
Prokofiev Sonata No.3 in A minor, Op.28
Ravel La valse
Franck Laurent-Grandpré Salsa Classica, No.1

Edward Leung
Debussy Estampes
Liszt Réminiscences de Norma, S. 394

7pm - 8.30pm

Callum MacLachlan
Brahms Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op.24

Pascal Pascaleff
Schumann Kreisleriana Op.16

Shishen Zhou
Scarlatti Sonata in D major, K.119
Ravel La valse
Liszt Ballade No.2 in B minor, S.171

9pm - Announcement of three finalists

BOOK NOW

TUE 18 JUNE
COFFEE CONCERT: PASCAL PASCALEFF

11.05am - £10 (£8)

Pascal Pascaleff piano

Schumann Fantasiestücke, Op.111
Chopin Ballade in G minor, Op.23
Schumann Kreisleriana, Op.16

BOOK NOW

Lunchtime Music: Xizi Zhang

1.05pm - £10 (£8)

Xizi Zhang piano

Xizi Zhang is currently studying for the Advanced Postgraduate Diploma with John Thwaites and Alasdair Beatson at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Xizi has had masterclasses with renowned musicians such as Olga Kern, Richard Goode, Peter Donohoe, Jon Nakamatsu and has won 1st prize at both the 2008 Robert Schumann International Piano Competition for Youth and Beijing International Piano Festival Young Artists Concerto Competition.

BOOK NOW

YOUNG ARTISTS WINNER'S CLOSING GALA FESTIVAL RECITAL

7.30pm - £10 (£8)

BOOK NOW