Sunday Concerts:
Trio Havisham & Tal Walker

Trio Havisham • 6:30pm

The 2022 CAVATINA Intercollegiate Chamber Music Competition was adjudicated by Roger Wright CBE of Britten Pears Arts and featured 8 trios from conservatoires across the UK competing for a cash prize and an offer of a paid performance as part of the Sunday Concerts series at Conway Hall.

In a competition showcasing the best of musical talent, Trio Havisham from the Royal Northern College of Music took home the first prize, and we are excited to welcome them for their Conway Hall debut.

Magdalena Riedl (violin)
Fangning Dong (cello)
Zany Denyer (piano)

Programme:

Martinu | Trio No.1 in C minor ‘Cinq pièces brèves’ H193
Schumann | Trio No.2 in F Op.80
Dvořák | Trio No.4 in E minor ‘Dumky’ Op.90

Pre-Concert Recital: Tal Walker • 5:30pm

Join concert pianist and Young Steinway Artist Tal Walker for an exploration of French piano Préludes and Nocturnes. During this concert Tal will feature pieces from his newly released debut album. He has always been fascinated by French music, a passion which brought him to Paris, where he studied at the École Normale – Alfred Cortot and specialized in the French repertoire at the Académie de musique française with renowned French pianists. Tal currently pursues his doctoral degree at the Royal College of Music in London.

Fauré’s Préludes were written in his late period while he suffered from hearing distortion. He travelled to Switzerland to compose his opera Pénélope, away from his obligations as the director of the Paris Conservatoire. His Préludes are polyphonic and incorporate plainchant modality with lyricism and expression. Poulenc’s Nocturnes are dream-like scenes; they sometimes remind of children’s songs, some with a touch of Stravinsky and others are deep and melodic. Messiaen’s Préludes are from his early period, not quite the same in compositional style as his later piano pieces Vingt regards or the Catalogue d’oiseaux. They are influenced by Debussy, but already with his typical modes, birds’ songs and a sense of mysticism.

Tal recorded his album in Paris in 2022. The project was directed by pianist Madame Françoise Thinat who studied with Marguerite Long and Yvonne Loriod. This album is part of a collection Cabinet of curiosities produced by the Galaxie-Y endowment fund.

Programme:

Fauré | Nine Préludes: No.1 in D flat Op.103
Fauré | Nine Préludes: No.2 in C sharp minor Op.103
Fauré | Nine Préludes: No.3 in G minor Op.103
Fauré | Nine Préludes: No.4 in F Op.103
Fauré | Nine Préludes: No.5 in D minor Op.103
Poulenc | Eight Nocturnes: No.1 in C
Poulenc | Eight Nocturnes: No.2 in A ‘Bal de jeunes filles’
Poulenc | Eight Nocturnes: No.4 in C minor ‘Bal fantôme’
Poulenc | Eight Nocturnes: No.5 in D minor ‘Phalènes’
Poulenc | Eight Nocturnes: No.8 in E flat
Messiaen | Eight Préludes: No.1 ‘La colombe’
Messiaen | Eight Préludes: No.5 ‘Les sons impalpables du rêve’
Messiaen | Eight Préludes: No.7 ‘Plainte calme’
Messiaen | Eight Préludes: No.8 ‘Un reflet dans le vent’