The pianist Łukasz Filipczak
Concertos for Chopin’s elusive birthday: an intimate London recital on March 2 2014, By James Brewer
While the music world chooses to celebrate the birthday of Frédéric Chopin on various days, it always does so in style. One such event will be staged at the London art gallery, Studio Sienko, on Sunday March 2, with two brilliant young pianists and a highly regarded new string quartet. The composer’s two piano concertos will have different soloists in a remarkable arrangement for small forces that will maintain the richness of the masterpieces.
Chopin was born Fyderyk Franciszek Szopen in 1810 in a thatched cottage at Żelazowa Wola near Warsaw, and the christening was delayed several weeks, awaiting consent of his godfather for the name. The birth was registered as having been on February 22, although his family apparently came to celebrate March 1as the true day.
Still in his teens, Chopin composed the concertos within a year of each other. Shortly after introducing the first concerto to the public in 1830, he left to live and work abroad, never to return.
Soloists for the March 2 chamber concert at Studio Sienko are Łukasz Filipczak and Kiryl Keduk, and they will be accompanied by the Rumore Quartet.
The Rumore Quartet
Łukasz has won many prizes in Poland and London. He graduated from Nowowiejski Music High School in Gdańsk and later studied at the Academy of Music in the Baltic city. He moved to London in 2005 after winning a scholarship, and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In 2012, he completed the Postgraduate Guildhall Artist Masters Programme. Łukasz has performed at top music venues, including Berliner Philharmonie, the Royal Festival Hall and Warsaw Philharmonic Hall.
Born in Belarus, Kiryl made his debut at the age of 10 with that country’s National Philharmonic Orchestra, and won his first prize at the age of 12 in Poland. He studied in Poland, Italy and the UK. In all, he has won 14 international prizes, and his appearances have included the Steinway Hall in New York, Sala Verdi in Milan, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Opera de Nice, National Philharmonic Hall in Krakow, Hamarikyu Asahi Hall in Tokyo and Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall. He has worked with conductors including Thomas Sanderling, Vladimir Spivakov, and Kirill Karabits.
The Rumore Quartet consists of Joanna Klimaszewska and Lee Anne Blackmore (violins), Lisa Bucknell (viola) and Matthew Strover (cello).
Established at the Royal College of Music in September 2013, the Rumore Quartet quickly gained recognition as a versatile group, making its debut at the Stoke Newington Contemporary Music Festival. Early inspiration has come from composer Joseph Horovitz and Royal College of Music professors Simon Rowland-Jones, and Mark Messenger. Individually, the musicians of Rumore Quartet have won many scholarships and prizes, with numerous concerto and festival appearances. For instance, Joanna, who was born in Gdańsk, has performed in Paris, Vienna, Salzburg, Bremen and Moscow.
Kiryl Keduk
Eminent Warsaw-born pianist and teacher Bartlomiej Kominek wrote the arrangements of the concertos for string quartet, and they were published some 10 years ago.
Gallery director Olga Sienko said: “The gallery has superb acoustics, and the musicians are among the best; the music itself I do not need to recommend. People will feel that they are sitting in an orchestra, the sound will be so vivid and close. Visitors will also have the chance to see the very interesting exhibition Symbolism in Abstraction, showing work of 13 international artists, which is currently at the gallery.”
Programme: Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-minor Op. 11; and Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 in F-minor Op. 21. March 2 2014, 5pm, at Studio Sienko, 57a Lant Street, London SE1 (near Borough tube station). Book in advance through Waterloo Wine Store, tel 020 7403 7967. Ticket Price: £15 including wine.
