Dutch/Indian pianist Ischico Velzel makes her Irish debut as she takes her audience on a journey with her
fresh image of classical music.

Programme:

Isaac Albéniz: From Iberia book I: El Puerto
Alicia de Larrocha: Pecados de Juventud
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (arr. Velzel): Lacrimosa
Arno Babajanian: Prelude and Capriccio
Zara Levina: Sonata No. 1

Admission free. Donations will be divided between the performer and the Sandford Church Organ fund.

https://www.ischico.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/ischico

Ischico is active as a solo pianist and chamber musician and
has found her distinctive voice by experimenting with the boundaries of classical music. Her
playing is described as 'effortlessly expressive' and 'technically extremely fluent.'

Ischico strongly connects with performing unique and adventurous piano repertoire. In 2021, she won first prize in the Lamond Prize, a competition for lesser-known piano works, with her performance of Medtner's Sonata-Skazka. She has also won prizes at the Princess Christina Competition and the Bender-Petrof Festival.

Ischico actively explores the connection between classical music and other genres and disciplines. She has collaborated with visual artists and dancers and recently made her debut in the world of theatre. Ischico has been invited to perform in prestigious concert halls, including Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ in Amsterdam, Musis Sacrum in Arnhem, Sloane Square in London, and Casa Battló in Barcelona. She has been featured on the Australian radio station SBS and in multiple Dutch radio programs, most recently giving a live performance on NPO Classical where she played her own version of Mozart's Lacrimosa and music by A. Babajanian. She has also
participated in masterclasses by Dmitri Alexeev, Avedis Kouyoumdjian, Jacques Rouvier, Hortense Cartier-Bresson, Joanna MacGregor, and Håkon Austbø.

Ischico completed two master's degrees at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu in Barcelona under the tutelage of renowned pianists Frank Peters, Albert Attenelle, Petras Geniušas, and Fali Pavri. She is grateful for the support of the VSBFonds, Het Heij Konijn Fonds, and Ars Donandi, who have provided financial support for her studies.

In 2019, Ischico ran a successful crowdfunding campaign to fund a part of her second
master's at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She currently plays on a Yamaha C5,
generously supported by Stichting Eigen Muziekinstrument and Ars Donandi.