Karine Georgian and John Thwaites

Karine Georgian cello
John Thwaites piano

Featuring Shostakovich’s Cello Sonata and Britten’s Third Suite for Cello.

This recital offers a unique perspective and rare insight from cellist Karine Georgian, whose international career began in Soviet era Russia, and shines a light on the friendship between Rostropovich, Shostakovich and Britten.  At the Moscow Conservatory Karine Georgian was for several years a student of the legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich (in a class that also included Jacqueline du Pré and Natalia Gutman) and studied the lyrical Shostakovich sonata with him.  Benjamin Britten’s Third Suite, written for Rostropovich, is one of his late works (1971) and incorporates four Russian folk themes as an homage to his friend.

After taking the First Prize and Gold Medal at the Third Tchaikovsky International Competition, Karine Georgian’s stellar career took her across the former Soviet Union, Europe, the Far East and the US.  Her repertoire encompasses more than forty concertos and a huge range of instrumental and chamber music from core Russian and European Romantic masterworks, to a lifelong study of Bach and some of the leading composers of our day.  She left the Soviet Union in 1980 and settled in London, combining an active worldwide performing schedule with the Cello Professorship of the Musikhochschule in Detmold, Germany.  After twenty years she took up an appointment at the Royal Northern College of Music.  Now retired from full-time teaching she continues to be in demand for coaching and masterclasses. 

Karine Georgian is joined in this recital by John Thwaites, RBC’s Head of Piano and a founder member of the Primrose Piano Quartet.

Running time approx. one hour and 15 minutes

Hear more Shostakovich from 10-14 November at RBC in Shostakovich and His World.

Photo: Kate Mount