Lunchtime Music: Saint-Saëns, Kirchner, Strauss

Alexander Hocknull French horn
Joanne Sealey piano

Saint-Saëns Romance in F, Op.36
Kirchner Lamento
Franz Strauss Theme and Variations, Op.13

Mario Bobotov piano

Beethoven Sonate op.13 No.8, Grande Sonate Pathetique - Grave, Allegro di molto e con brio; Adagio Cantabile; Rondo
Scriabin Sonata No.4 

Alex Hocknull began playing the French horn aged nine, however, by the age of 12 illness had forced him to stop playing completely. It was not until 2017, after returning from studying politics at Lancaster University, that a chance encounter with an inspiring piano teacher encouraged Alex to pick up the horn once again. This led to decide to pursue a career in music and now he is in the final year of his undergraduate degree at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. 

Alex’s recent highlights include performing at the Three Choirs Festival, playing with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, and a residency with the Chipping Campden Festival Orchestra. Next year, Alex is making his concerto debut performing Richard Strauss’s 2nd Horn Concerto. 

Alex is also an award-winning chamber musician, performing regularly with his brass ensemble Second City Brass.

Mario Bobotsov was born on 14 February, 2002 in Sofia, Bulgaria and is currently studying for a bachelor's degree in piano at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with a full scholarship in the class of Prof. Pascal Nemirovski. He graduated from the National School of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria where he started his piano education at the age of six in the class of Milka Miteva.

Mario has been awarded the Denis Matthews Memorial Trust Scholarship Award and Miss Bowen Challenge Cup (2022). He is an eight-time winner of the “Lydia Kuteva” Memorial Scholarship, established by Prof. Pavlina Dokovska, USA and a laureate of the Yordan Kamdzhalov Foundation, Bulgaria for 2020 and 2021.

In 2020 he won a full scholarship from the American Foundation for Bulgaria in the name of Prof. Pavlina Dokovska and from the International Keyboard Institute and Festival Manhattan, New York.

Mario is a laureate of the following National and International Piano Competitions:

• First Prize - Denis Matthews Piano Prize 2022, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
• First Prize - Winifred Micklam Prize 2022, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
• Third Prize - London Classical Music Competition 2022, category Piano, Youth Artist.
• First Prize - 4^th International Music Performance Competition “Music Prospect”, 2021.
• First Prize - 9^th International competition JSFest 2021 Instrumental Music Competition.
• First Prize - Millersville Keyboard Division Piano Competition, Pennsylvania, USA, 2021.
• Third Prize - Lancaster International Piano Festival, USA, 2020.
• First Prize - Classic Music Online Competition Perusia Harmonica, Perugia, Italy, 2020.
• First Prize - 23^rd International Competition "Hopes, Talents, Masters” – 2019, Dobrich, Bulgaria.
• Special 1^st Prize - 29^th FLAME Competition 2018, Paris, France.
• 1^st Prize and “Premio Virtuoso” - 2^nd International Competition "Sante Centurione" 2018, Chieti, Italy.
• 3^rd Prize - 48^th International Competition “VIRTUOSI PER MUSICA DI PIANOFORTE“ 2015, Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic.
• 3^rd Prize - 5^th National Piano Competition “Mila Mihaylova” 2016, Varna, Bulgaria.
• 3^rd Prize - 20^th International Competition “Hopes, Talents, Masters” 2016, Dobrich, Bulgaria.
• 3^rd Prize - International Competition “New Pianists” 2014, Sofia, Bulgaria.
• 1^st Prize - International Competition “Young Pianists” 2012, Vranja, Serbia.
• 1^st Prize at International Competition “Young pianists from Europe” 2012, Gevgelija, Macedonia.

Mario has participated in masterclasses with Prof. Pascal Nemirovski (UK), Prof. Pavlina Dokovska (USA), Prof. Fali Pavri, Prof. Milena Mollova (Bulgaria), Prof. Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron (Poland), Prof. Giuliano Mazzoccante (Italy), Prof. Victor Chuchkov (Bulgaria), Prof. Ivo Kalchev (USA), Prof. Bozhidar Noev (Austria), Prof. Adrian Oetiker (Germany), Prof. Massimo Gon (Italy), Prof, Claudius Tanksi (Austria) and Prof. Michal Tal (Israel).