Alexander Gavrylyuk (2025-2026 season)
Mozart Sonata in C major, K.330
Chopin Fantasie in f minor op.49
Liszt Tarantella Venezia e Napoli
Interval
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition
Alexander Gavrylyuk was a late discovery for SJE Arts and we were entranced by the beauty and subtlety of his playing. Happily, he is back in Europe this season and we’re delighted to be welcoming him to the new Series. Born in Ukraine with Australian citizenship, Alexander’s big break came when he won Gold Medal at the 2005 Arthur Rubenstein Piano Masters.
Tonight’s programme begins with Mozart’s sunny sonata in C major, written when Mozart was newly married and all was going well for him in Vienna. Chopin’s Fantasie in f minor follows, a mysterious and contemplative piece despite its marching rhythms. Then – dancing to the interval – Liszt’s fast and furious Tarantella.
The second half is Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. This piece came about after a close friend of Mussorgsky’s, artist Viktor Hartmann, died suddenly at the age of 39. In the form of a stroll through an exhibition of Hartmann’s work, with a pause to look at each picture, it is one of those special pieces that is so memorable it can seem too familiar. We are confident that it won’t. At Wigmore Hall in 2023, Alexander received two standing ovations for his performance.
From a review of Alexander’s concert at Wigmore Hall, November 2023
‘…But it is Mussorgsky ‘Pictures’ that will resound around these walls for long to come with a breathtaking recreation of an old war horse given miraculous new life. The opening promenade I have never heard phrased so beautifully….’ ChristopherAxworthy – MusicCommentary
Our thanks to the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building, St Hilda’s College, for their hospitality and support for the International Piano Series