Saturday 13 April
Emma Abbate and Julian Perkins
Piano Duet Recital
Programme
| Sonata in D Major, K381
Allegro Andante Allegro molto |
W. A. Mozart
(1756–1791) |
| Six Pièces, op. 10a Moderato Andantino Andante con variazioni Mazurka Adagio Rondo |
C. M. von Weber
(1786–1826) |
| INTERVAL | |
| Rondo in A major for piano four hands, D951 | F. Schubert
(1797–1828) |
| Ma mère l’Oye
Pavane de la Belle au Bois dormant Petit Poucet Laideronnette, Impératrice des Pagodes Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête Le jardin féerique |
M. Ravel
(1875–1937) |
| Norwegian Dances, op. 35 no. 1 & 2 | E. Grieg
(1843–1907) |
| Slavonic Dances no. 2, op. 72
no. 7, op. 46 |
A. Dvořák
(1841–1904) |
About Emma Abbate & Julian Perkins
Emma Abbate and Julian Perkins have given keyboard duet recitals at many prestigious UK venues including the Royal Opera House, St John’s Smith Square and St George’s Bristol. The varied sound world of historical pianos inspires their approach to a broad repertoire that ranges from J. C. Bach to the present day, and they have given recitals on original instruments for the Finchcocks Charity, at Hatchlands Park and the Russell Collection. They have recently released the second volume of Mozart’s complete piano duets on period instruments for Resonus Classics. This album was the first to be recorded on the newly-formed Richard Burnett Heritage Collection of Early Keyboard Instruments and has been highly praised by BBC Music Magazine. Their first volume was described by Early Music Review as “exemplary”, and represents the final recording made at Finchcocks Musical Museum. Future engagements include a duet recital in Boston for the Mozart Society of America in 2019.
Described as ‘an amazingly talented pianist’ by Musica, the Neapolitan pianist Emma Abbate has performed duo recitals for international festivals and concert societies in Salzburg, Lisbon, Naples, Ischia and Koscierzyna. She has also performed at many prestigious UK venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre, Royal Opera House, St John’s Smith Square, St George’s, Bristol, and at the Aldeburgh Festival, in addition to broadcasts on BBC Radio 3.
Emma is releasing a series of recordings devoted to 20th-century Italian vocal chamber music, the latest of which is Sera d’inverno: a disc of songs by Ildebrando Pizetti with mezzo-soprano Hanna Hipp for Resonus Classics. She has previously recorded the world-première disc of Shakespeare Sonnets by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco with the BBC New Generation Artist Ashley Riches, also for Resonus Classics. A keen advocate of contemporary music, Emma has also released two discs for Toccata Classics devoted to works by Stephen Dodgson: world-première recordings of his cello and piano music with Evva Mizerska, and his piano quintets with the Tippett Quartet. The latter disc was named a Musicweb International Recording Of The Year 2017.
Based in London, Emma is a professor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and a staff coach at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Following her graduation from the S. Pietro a Majella Conservatoire in Naples and an Advanced Diploma from the S. Cecilia Conservatoire in Rome, Emma studied in London with Yonty Solomon. She completed her studies with Geoffrey Pratley as a scholar at the Royal Academy of Music, from where she graduated with distinction. She was also awarded an Italian Literature and Culture degree cum laude from the Federico II University in Naples. www.emmaabbate.com
Described as ‘exuberantly stylish’ by the Sunday Times, Julian Perkins is the Artistic Director of Cambridge Handel Opera and Founder Director of Sounds Baroque.
As a player, Julian has performed concertos with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Orchestra of The Sixteen, and has gained a wealth of experience collaborating with many leading period instrument ensembles and modern orchestras. In addition to performing as the solo harpsichordist in productions at The Royal Opera House, Welsh National Opera and Northern Ireland Opera, he has featured on BBC Radio 3’s Early Music Show and appeared at numerous venues such as London’s Wigmore Hall, New York’s Lincoln Center and Sydney Opera House, as well as at the BBC Proms and Edinburgh International Festival. Solo recitals in the UK have included appearances for international festivals at St Albans, Buxton, Canterbury, Deal, Lammermuir, Northern Aldborough, Oundle, Petworth, Roman River, Ryedale, Swaledale and Two Moors. His acclaimed discography includes chamber, solo and opera recordings for Avie, Chandos, Coro, Opus Arte and Resonus on a wide range of instruments, including the Royal Harpsichord at Kew Palace.
Conducting engagements have included staged opera productions for the Buxton International Festival, Cambridge Handel Opera, Dutch National Opera Academy, Grimeborn Festival, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Kings Place, New Chamber Opera and New Kent Opera, in addition to many concert performances. With Sounds Baroque, he has directed performances with singers including Rebecca Evans, Dame Emma Kirkby and Mark Padmore.
Julian read music at King’s College, Cambridge, before pursuing advanced studies at the Schola Cantorum, Basle and the Royal Academy of Music, London. He is a visiting coach at the Royal Opera House, directs the annual Baroque project with Southbank Sinfonia, and has given masterclasses at the National Opera Studio and several music colleges both in the UK and abroad. www.julianperkins.com
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