In recent weeks Perfect Pitch lunchtime concerts at St Cross have featured young students at different stages of their musical lives, playing with passion and virtuosity on piano, violin and guitar.
Esther Chan, a pianist shortly to join Peter Symonds College, gave her first public concert in a varied programme of pieces by Gershwin, Mozart, Scarlatti, Debussy and Schumann.
Esther's playing was confident, expressive and secure throughout her programme and especially beautiful in the Debussy Arabesque.
Violinist Mariia Liaskovets, a product of The Junior Academy of Music Kyiv, Ukraine, chose a programme devoted to music from her homeland.
The audience was enthralled by her virtuosity and musicianship, together with her confident and informative introductions of each piece. Mariia has been fortunate to give many concerts throughout the UK and will shortly be attending The Royal College of Music in London, to continue her studies. Mariia was brilliantly accompanied on the piano by Nina Papastathi.
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Declan Hickey, guitar and Eliza Nagle, violin, both studying at The Royal Academy of Music in London, showed what a variety of colours and sonorities can be achieved on these two instruments. The infectious and seductive tangos by Astor Piazolla, rubbed noses with pieces by Faure and Django Reinhardt to the delight of the large audience.
Much of the Perfect Pitch series has been dedicated to the support and encouragement of young musicians, all at different stages of their musical lives, but where will these gifted players end up?
Arts and mainstream media is currently filled with negative news concerning the state of music in the UK. There has been a rapid fall in the number of GCSE entrants, dropping 12.5 per cent since 2010. Additionally, A level entrants have fallen by 45 per cent since 2010.
Cut backs in professional orchestras and choirs are widespread and it seems that someone seeking a full time musical career face very considerable challenges as competition for available places increases.
Lunchtime concerts at St Cross will continue to support and encourage young musicians in the years to come and I encourage readers and our supporters to do the same.
Free lunchtime concerts at St Cross continue every Thursday at 12.30pm until October 26.
Review by Graham Davies
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