Meera Maharaj flute
James Girling guitar
Formed in 2013, Meraki Duo enjoys exploring the diversity of repertoire available to the flute-guitar pairing while contributing new arrangements of their own. Meera Maharaj (flute) and James Girling (guitar) both studied at the RNCM, sharing a passion for chamber music that extends to jazz, Latin American and European folk, and works by contemporary composers. They love performing in a wide variety of contexts and venues; recently, these have included King’s Place for London Guitar Festival, Swaledale Festival, St James’s Church in Piccadilly, Manchester Cathedral, and the Bridgewater Hall as part of Craig Ogden’s Guitar Weekend. They regularly perform for recital series in venues spanning from Cumbria to Cornwall. In 2019, they advanced to the final of the Royal Over-Seas League Competition (Mixed Ensembles category) in London. Meraki Duo have been selected onto the International Guitar Foundation’s Young Artist Platform for 2019/20.
Alongside their concert schedule, they endeavour to bring performances into the wider community. They are Live Music Now artists and often give workshops in schools across the country, exploring music through storytelling. Additionally, they have enjoyed giving concerts at Wigmore Hall in partnership with the Wigmore Learning programme.
Programme
Dvořák (arr. Massey) — Sonatina in G Major
William Grant Still — Bayou Home
William Grant Still — If You Should Go
Astor Piazzolla — Cafe 1930
Astor Piazzolla — Nightclub 1960
Egberto Gismonti (arr. Richter) — Agua e Vinho
Hermeto Pascoal (arr. Girling) — Bebê
Milda Daunoraite is a Lithuanian pianist, currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music under a full scholarship with Professor Tessa Nicholson.
Milda has been supported by the “SOS Talents Foundation – Michel Sogny”, M. Rostropovich Foundation and the Keyboard Charitable Trust, and as a result she was able to begin performing extensively throughout Europe for many eminent music societies, festivals and key events. Milda has performed at venues such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Musikhuset Aarhus, United Nations headquarters in Geneva, at the EMMA World Summit of Nobel Prize Peace Laureates in Warsaw and many others. In addition, she has performed in countries such as France, Poland, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, , Italy, Denmark, Holland, Latvia, Ukraine, Georgia, Sweden, United Kingdom and many cities across Lithuania.
Programme:
J. S. Bach — Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903
Beethoven — Sonata no.26 in E flat major, "Les Adieux", Op.81a
Scriabin — Sonata no.2 in G sharp minor (Sonata-Fantasy), Op.19
Stravinsky — Trois mouvements de Petrouchka
Thomas Kelly was born in November 1998. He started playing the piano at the age of three, and in 2006 became Kent Junior Pianist of the Year and attained the ABRSM Grade 8 with Distinction. Aged nine, Thomas performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 24 in the Marlowe Theatre with the Kent Concert Orchestra. After moving to Cheshire, he regularly played in festivals, winning prizes including in the Birmingham Music Festival, third prize in Young Pianist of the North 2012, and first prize in WACIDOM 2014. Between 2015 and 2021, Thomas studied with Andrew Ball, firstly at the Purcell School of Music and then at the Royal College of Music. Thomas has also gained inspiration from lessons and masterclasses with musicians such as Vanessa Latarche, Ian Jones, Tatiana Sarkissova, Paul Lewis, Mikhail Voskresensky and Dina Yoffe. Thomas has been studying with Dmitri Alexeev at the RCM since April 2021.
Programme:
Rameau — Le Rappel Des Oiseaux
Chopin — Andante Spiniato et Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op.22
Busoni — Carmen-Sonatina
Respighi — Notturno
Liszt — Réminiscences de Lucrezia Borgia
Acclaimed by The Sunday Times for the verve and spirit of his performances, Adam Heron is swiftly earning a reputation as one of the most innovative pianists of his generation. Winner of the 2020 Harriet Cohen Bach Prize, Adam rose to prominence following his television debut in 2018 as a BBC Young Musician piano finalist. Through his unique artistry, coupled with an innate public appeal and flair for communication, he has become a leading ambassador for classical music across the UK and abroad.
Programme:
Elgar — Adieu
Elgar — Sonatina
Adam Heron — Four Short Pieces (2022)
Brahms — Two Rhapsodies Op. 79
Brahms — Three Intermezzi Op. 117
Chopin — Scherzo No. 1 in B-Minor Op. 20
Philip Berg organ
Kathryn Parry violin
Fiona McCapra violin
Adrian Bradbury cello
Philip Berg studied the organ at the Royal College of Music under Richard Popplewell. In addition to a busy teaching career, he has performed as organist at many different venues, including the cathedrals of St Paul’s, Worcester, Inverness, Westminster Abbey, Chartres, and Brandenburg. He has also been heard as accompanist on BBC radio. He has been Master of the Music at The Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy since1995, and has performed the complete works of Bach there, and much else besides. The fine choir of professional men and boys has broadcast on Radio 3, Radio 2, and Classic FM.
Kathryn Parry has a rich and varied career as an orchestral and chamber musician, recitalist and teacher. She studied at Selwyn College, Cambridge and at the Royal Academy of Music. She has played with many of the UK’s leading orchestras, as have the other string players in this small ensemble brought together especially for this concert.
Programme:
To include organ concerti by John Stanley and Handel, and works by Albinoni, Telemann and Saint-Saëns.
Jaeyoung Kim violin
Young-uk Kim violin
Kyuhyun Kim viola
Wonhae Lee cello
Established at the Korean National University of Arts in 2007, the Novus String Quartet is one of the leading chamber music ensembles in Korea, and first caused a sensation in Europe in 2012 when they earned the Second Prize in the string quartet category at the renowned ARD Music Competition. Two years later the quartet crowned itself with the First Prize at the Salzburg Mozart Competition where Lukas Hagen of the Hagen Quartet was the Jury Chair. Ever since the quartet is filling the international concert halls and inspires audience and critics likewise.
Programme:
Britten — Three Divertimenti for String Quartet
Janáček — String Quartet no. 1 ''Kreutzer Sonata''
Dvořák — String Quartet no. 12 in F major, Op. 96 ''American”
Haslemere, situated in South West Surrey, has long been an important centre for music-making. Its chamber music society, HHH Concerts, presents a season of concerts in St Christopher's Church, Wey Hill, Haslemere, GU27 1DD, a building with wonderful acoustics.
HHH Concerts was founded as the Haslemere, Hindhead and Headley Music Club in January 1934. Concerts at that time took place in members' homes - typically these had large music rooms. Its change of name in 1993 marked a shift in style from an intimate club to a society promoting public concerts. Its aim is for music-lovers to hear outstanding performances locally, and to provide opportunities to young professional musicians.
