New Ross Piano Festival Returns with Philippe Cassard, Katya Apekisheva, Jason Rebello and Einav Yarden

Einav Yarden will perform a solo concert at the festival on 26 September.

New Ross Piano Festival Returns with Philippe Cassard, Katya Apekisheva, Jason Rebello and Einav Yarden

Festival will take place with restricted audience numbers in County Wexford from 23 to 26 September.

New Ross Piano Festival has announced the programme for this year’s event. The festival will feature nine concerts in New Ross, Wexford, from 23 to 26 September and will present the world premiere of a new work by British composer Sally Beamish. Featured artists include French pianist Philippe Cassard, London-based Katya Apekisheva and jazz pianist Jason Rebello.

On 25 September, Cassard will perform with Cédric Pescia the Six Études in Canon Form Op. 56 by Schumann (trans. Debussy) for two pianos. The concert will also present the world premiere of new work Sonnets for two pianos by Sally Beamish. The work was co-commissioned by the New Ross Piano Festival and London Piano Festival and will be performed by Artistic Director Finghin Collins, Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva. This concert will also feature music by Chopin, Prokofiev, Fauré and Liszt.

Launching the festival on 23 September is a day of jazz music – a feature that is now in its fifth year – featuring a main evening concert with British pianist Jason Rebello at 8pm and a lunchtime concert with jazz pianist Jim Doherty, performing with Dave Fleming on bass and Myles Drennan on drums, in St Mary’s Church. During the festival there will also be a series of free, thirty-minute jazz sessions in a variety of public locations around New Ross. 

The main opening concert of the festival on 24 September will feature a number of works for two pianos including Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture – arranged by Keller for eight hands and performed by Collins, Christian Chamorel, Owen and Apekisheva – and Poulenc’s Three Pieces for two pianos. The closing concert on 26 September will see Cassard and Cédric Pescia perform Liszt’s arrangement for two pianos of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. 

Also taking place during the festival are concerts with Irish pianist Tiffany Qiu (24 September); Israeli pianist Einav Yarden (26 September); a lunchtime concert with Chamorel and Collins (25 September); and a late-night concert with Chamorel, Scott and Brendel (25 September).

Commenting on this year’s festival, Director Connie Tantrum said:

We’re delighted to return to live performance. Whilst audience numbers will be smaller to comply with Covid protocols, nonetheless our patrons can enjoy great music and hospitality in a convivial atmosphere, making New Ross Piano Festival the memorable cultural event that it is. We’re also looking at live streaming festival concerts to give international patrons an opportunity to view the festival online.

For further details and tickets, visit: www.newrosspianofestival.com/whats-on/

Published on 25 August 2021

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