Gabriela Montero to headline London Piano Festival 2021
Owen Mortimer
Thursday, April 1, 2021
The festival will run from 8-10 October at Kings Place, London.
This article originally appeared in International Piano.
Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero will open this year’s London Piano Festival (LPF) on 8 October with a solo recital inspired by the theme of movement across borders. Her programme features live improvisation of a score for Charlie Chaplin’s 1917 short film The Immigrant plus works by Prokofiev, Rachmaninov and Stravinsky, all of whom were contemporaries of, or friends with, Chaplin.
Presented at Kings Place, London from 8 to 10 October, the festival is led by co-artistic directors Katya Apekisheva and Charles Owen. They will be joined by Montero, Kathryn Stott and Finghin Collins for LPF’s celebrated two-piano gala, which sees a wide variety of repertoire performed on two interlocking Steinways – including the UK premiere of Sally Beamish’s Sonnets.
Sonnets explores the creation of Shakespeare’s poems, with three characters represented by three pianists who share two pianos. ‘As the story plays out,’ says Beamish, ‘the music reflects passion, jealousy, joy and desperation. The characters – from humble page turner to triumphant soloist – portray their conflicting emotions by moving between the pianos like a game of progressive table tennis.’
Other LPF programme highlights include all-Schubert recital by Apekisheva and a special event in which Owen is joined by mathematician Marcus du Sautoy to explore the use of symmetry in Bach’s Goldberg Variations.
Apekisheva and Owen said, ‘We’re delighted to return for a wide-ranging weekend of exciting repertoire. The anticipation of live music making complete with the magical resonance of grand pianos all fuelled by buzzing audiences is one to lift the spirits. We look forward to welcoming the artists and to reconnecting with LPF friends again in the vibrant, contemporary setting of Kings Place.’
A limited number of £8.50 tickets will be available to under 30s for each concert. International Piano magazine is the festival’s media partner for the sixth year running.
London Piano Festival 2021
Friday 8 October, 19:30
Gabriela Montero – piano
Prokofiev Sarcasms Op 17
Prokofiev Piano Sonata No 2 in D minor Op 14
Rachmaninov Piano Sonata No 2 Op 36
Stravinsky Piano Sonata in F-sharp minor
Chaplin The Immigrant, with improvised piano score by Gabriela Montero
Saturday 9 October, 16:00
Katya Apekisheva – piano
Schubert Three pieces D 946
Schubert Sonata in B-flat major D960
Saturday 9 October, 18:30
Pre-concert talk
Owen Mortimer, editor of International Piano, interviews Sally Beamish about her new work Sonnets
Saturday 9 October, 19:30
Two-Piano Gala
Katya Apekisheva, Finghin Collins, Gabriela Montero, Charles Owen, Kathryn Stott – pianos
Mozart Sonata for Two Pianos in D major K448 (KA/FC)
Schubert Fantasia in F minor D940 (GM/FC)
Ravel Daphnis and Chloé Suite No 2 (KA/CO)
Beamish Sonnets (FC/CO/KA) *UK Premiere
Rachmaninov Suite No 2 in C minor Op 17 (KS/GM)
Poulenc Capriccio d’après ‘Le Bal Masqué’ FP155 (CO/KA)
Poulenc Elégie FP175 (CO/KA)
Poulenc L’embarquement pour Cythère (CO/KA)
Grainger/Gershwin Fantasy on Themes from ‘Porgy and Bess’ (KS/FC)
Sunday 10 October, 11.00
Sounding Symmetry
Charles Owen – piano | Marcus du Sautoy – speaker
Bach Goldberg Variations BWV 988