Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Festival

Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Festival

This year the Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Festival takes place at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in a fantastic 3-day celebration of chamber music.

Eight young ensembles have been selected to be part of the coveted programme, each set to perform public recitals and take part in masterclasses with leading artists during the course of the festival. Of these eight, three ensembles will be selected to progress to the concluding concert in what promises to be an exciting grand finish to the festival on Fri 23 Nov.

Welcome from Daniel Tong

Chamber music is a multi-layered medium, in the wealth and depth of its repertoire as well as the skills and characteristics required to realise it.

It is music for sharing, both with one's performing colleagues and the audience, and is therefore somewhat confessional. It is open to wide-ranging interpretation, despite often being put together by composers with great intellectual rigour.

Our festival includes a competition, which in this discipline may seem like something of a paradox, but our event is as collegiate and inclusive as possible. We will make music together; each competing ensemble will give a recital and take part in masterclasses; all jury members will also perform as part of the festival programme. There will be performances from gifted Royal Birmingham Conservatoire students, and masterclass opportunities for students across the UK.

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire has put chamber music at its heart with inspiring results.

Daniel Tong
Head of Piano Chamber Music, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Festival Programme

TUE 20 NOV
Celebrity Recital 1: Festival Opening Concert (London Bridge Trio; Lucy Gould; Robin Ireland; John Thwaites)
7.30pm, The Bradshaw Hall

WED 21 NOV
Young Artists Recital 1 (Iskra Duo)
12pm, Recital Hall

Young Artists Recital 2 (Mosa Piano Trio)
1.15pm, Recital Hall

Young Artists Recital 3 (Trio Opal)
3.30pm, Recital Hall

Young Artists Recital 4 (Duo Lomeiko/Suhanova)
4.45pm, Recital Hall

Celebrity Recital 2 (Gould Piano Trio; Christoph Richter; John Thwaites)
7.30pm, The Bradshaw Hall

THU 22 NOV
Young Artists Recital 5 (Mader/Papandreopoulos Duo)
12pm, Recital Hall

Young Artists Recital 6 (Tulip Duo)
1.15pm, Recital Hall

Young Artists Recital 7 (Duo Kapoor/Leung)
3.30pm, Recital Hall

Young Artists Recital 8 (Lux Piano Trio)
4.45pm, Recital Hall

Celebrity Recital 3 (Alice Neary, Daniel Tong, Christoph Richter)
7.30pm, The Bradshaw Hall

FRI 23 NOV
Conservatoire Students Showcase Concerts
1pm & 4pm, Recital Hall

Grand Final
7pm, The Bradshaw Hall

We are delighted that our opening concert, grand final and other parts of the festival will be live streamed by Classic FM.

Our Venues

Concerts, including the grand final of the competition, will take place each evening during the festival in the magnificent new Bradshaw Hall (pictured, right) at the conservatoire.

Daytime events, including preliminary competition recitals take place in the more intimate Recital Hall.

Competition Jury

• Adam Binks, record producer; founder, Resonus Classics  
• Katya Apekisheva, piano professor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama
• Michael Gurevich (violinist, London Haydn Quartet, formerly Rhodes Piano Trio)
• Robin Ireland, violist, Domus, Lindsay Quartet; Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
• Alice Neary, cellist, Gould Trio; Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (pictured, right) 
• Christoph Richter, cellist; Folkwang University of the Arts, Essen; Royal Academy of Music, London
• John Thwaites, pianist, Primrose Piano Quartet; Head of Keyboard, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
• Daniel Tong, pianist, London Bridge Trio; Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Joining the jury members for festival concerts will be the London Bridge Trio, Gould Trio, students of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and more.

Daniel Tong, our director, has written in more detail about the event:

• Why we believe a festival devoted to the piano in chamber music is overdue
• The background to our competition and its ethos.

Three ensembles will be selected from eight young artists concerts to play in Friday’s grand final. The winning ensemble will receive £4,000, engagements including London’s Wigmore Hall, mentorship and a recording with Resonus Classics; two remaining finalists will receive second prizes of £1500 and a recording of their final performance.

The festival is extremely grateful to the Carne Trust, Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust and Fidelio Trust for their support.