A small but illustrious audience for Lisa Peacock’s series of lunchtime piano recitals in memory of Lady Solti.
Lorenzo Adamo was the pianist entrusted to play in the Solti Studio on the Maestro’s magnificent concert grand.The score of the St John Passion open as the Maestro had left it and his presence could certainly still be felt.

From the class of Norma Fisher and now in his final year of Masters with Alexander Romanovsky.https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.wordpress.com/2022/04/13/romanovsky-a-miracle-in-the-eternal-city-the-reincarnation-of-richter-and-rachmaninov/
Lorenzo kept us enthralled with a Waldstein Sonata of such rhythmic tension and extraordinary technical command.I have seen the final octaves played with two hands – Serkin used to lick his fingers before playing glissando but Lorenzo remarkably played them as octaves with one hand!It makes me wonder how he would manage with the first piano concerto!But there was so much to admire in a performance where Beethovens precise indications had been scrupulously observed and incorporated into an interpretation of intelligence and architectural shape.Delius dismissed Beethoven as scales and arpeggios (Bach he described as knotty twine!).It is true that there are unrelenting technical challenges in the first and last movements that are not for the fearless.Lorenzo brought also great dynamic control and dramatic contrasts without altering the continuous rhythmic impetus that is the real key to this sonata.There were ravishing sounds in the Adagio molto that Beethoven calls simply an introduction to the final rondo. The original slow movement -Andante favori – he decided to keep as a separate work.The pedalling in the final rondo was played with an intelligence and understanding that brought a sense of luminosity to the beautiful theme that after many tumultuous interruptions of transcendental difficulty returns on a stream of wondrous sounds before the final excitement that conclude this key Sonata.After this there was the Appassionata as a new world opened up to Beethoven that miraculously he was able to share with posterity because it was a world that only he could hear in his head being by now totally deaf.

The Scriabin fourth Sonata was of a luminosity as it reached for the ‘star’ with passionate intensity and transcendental piano playing of quite athletic agility.This was Gilels’ Sonata with his sumptuous rich sound but Lorenzo too entered the same sound world of a beauty of velvet richness and luminosity added to a transcendental control and passionate intensity that was quite breathtaking in its sweep and drive.
The same qualities of dynamic rhythmic energy that made Solti one of the most revered and feared of conductors after Toscanini.

I almost forgot to mention the two encores offered to a very enthusiastic audience.Chopin’s Study op 10.n.8 and Kapustin’s study :Intermezzo op 40 n 7 played with the same relish and mastery that his teacher,Romanovsky had offered in Rome.Much more generous though with eight encores.Lisa Peacock our amiable hostess was looking at the time and no doubt thinking that a lunchtime concert might well last until teatime if she did not pull the plug after such a scintillating performance of Kapustin’s rumbustuous Intermezzo study.

A transcendental performance of Prokofiev’s extraordinarily evocative and overpowering eighth Sonata that even took the breath away from Mrs Hochhauser who remembers only too well the first performances in the west by Gilels and Richter.

Lorenzo Adamo is a pianist from Milan, Italy. He is twenty two years old and and since the age of four he has been passionate about music.His first teacher was Katya Genghini who taught him the basics of the piano and helped him achieve the first results, such as – among others – winning the first prize in the “Musica in luce” Competition in 2009 (with concert at the Teatro dal Verme of Milan), the second prize in the “American Protegé” in 2011 (with concert at the Carnegie Hall of New York) and the first absolute prize in the “Oleggio” Competition in 2012. Recognising his constantly growing passion and devotion to the instrument, in 2013 she encouraged him to apply to the Conservatory “G. Verdi” of Milan, where he got accepted in the class of Professor Silvia Rumi.

Five years later, in February 2019, Lorenzo graduated with first class honors, with a dissertation on Franz Schubert and his Piano Sonatas. He has always been particularly interested in receiving a culturally diverse and internationally comprehensive training: in 2018, he and his Trio were selected to represent Italy at the Kyoto International Music Festival in Japan. In 2019, after winning the first prize both in the “Riviera della Versilia” Competition and the first prize in the “Premio Rancati” Competition, he was determined to continue his studies in the multicultural and world-leading Royal College of Music in London. Lorenzo got accepted to study on the Master of Performance course with Professor Norma Fisher in September 2019.

Last year, he also started studying privately with Maestro Alexander Romanovsky, who will now be his Professor at the RCM together with Professor Fisher. In 2020, participating in live and online competitions in different countries, he won the first prize in the “International Krainev Competition”, the semi-finalist prize in the “Virtualoso Competition for young artists”, the second prize in the “W.A. Mozart Competition of Lugano” and the third prize in the “Rising Stars Online Competition of Berlin”.In October 2021, Lorenzo was selected to be the accompanist of the “Stauffer Center for Strings” in Cremona. Since then, he has worked with renowned musicians, such as: Volkhard Steude, Olga Volkova, Julian Rachlin, Sarah McElravy, Avi Avital and Vesko Eschkenazy.Presently, Lorenzo is one of the artists supported by the charity “Talent Unlimited”, that offers financial support and concert opportunities to talented musicians who need help in developing their careers.

The Solti Studio – Wednesday Lunchtime Recital Series -Spring 2022 In Memory of Lady Solti.https://cso.org/experience/article/3528/remembering-lady-solti

Wednesday 27 April at 1pm 

Thomas Kelly, piano

Schubert Sonata D.959 in A Major  

Medtner Fairytale Op.20 No.2 “Campanella” 

Medtner Canzona Mattinata Op.39 No.4  

Medtner Sonata Tragica Op.39 No.5  

Thomas Kelly has won prizes in a number of competitions in Europe and the UK, including Leeds in 2021. Since the pandemic restrictions in 2020, Thomas’ artistic activities include participating in all 3 seasons of the “Echo Chamber” an online concert series curated by Noah Max, and releasing 3 singles under the Ulysses Arts label on digital platforms. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.wordpress.com/2022/04/18/thomas-kelly-takes-florence-by-storm-music-al-british/

Wednesday 4 May at 1pm 

Lorenzo Adamo, piano 

Beethoven Sonata No.21 op.53 “Waldstein” 
Scriabin Sonata No.4 op.30 
Prokofiev Sonata No.8 op.84  

Lorenzo Adamo was born in Italy in February 2000. He recently graduated from the Royal College of Music gaining a Master of Performance with Distinction, where he studied with Professors Norma Fisher and Alexander Romanovsky.  Lorenzo has won numerous competitions. Since 2019, he has been supported by the charity Talent Unlimited. 

 

Wednesday 11 May at 1pm 

JunLin Wu, piano 

Chopin Polonaise Fantasy op.61 

Chopin Mazurka op.30 

Chopin Sonata no.2 op.35 

Scriabin Reverie op.49 

Stravinsky arr. Agosti Firebird Suite 

JunLin is a winner of several international piano competitions, including Rome and Shanghai. As winner of the Jaques Samuel Pianos Intercollegiate Piano Competition, he made his Wigmore Hall debut in 2018. Currently he is studying at the Royal College of Music with Professor Dmitri Alexeev. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.wordpress.com/2022/04/02/jun-lin-wu-upstages-elton-john-in-the-shadow-of-elgar/

 

Wednesday 18 May at 1pm 

Giordano Buondonno, piano 

Brahms 4 Ballades Op 10 

Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit 

Scriabin Sonata-Fantasy Op. 19 No. 2 

At the age of 19, Italian-born Giordano Buondonno won 1st first prize at the Clara Schumann Competition and 1st prize in the PianoLink Concerto Competition in Milan. He is currently studying for an Artist Diploma under the guidance of Sergio De Simone and Deniz Gelenbe at Trinity Laban.

Wednesday 25 May at 1pm 

Jacky Zhang, piano 

Bach Goldberg Variations 

Liszt Don Juan  

13 year old pianist and composer Jacky Zhang is prize winner of many international competitions, including London Open, Classic Piano Dubai, Vladimir Krainev in Moscow and EPTA Composition Competition. His interests also   include conducting as well as historical performance. Currently he is studying piano with Prof. Dmitri Alexeev and Jianing Kong, and composition with Prof.Kenneth Hesketh  

Wednesday 8 June at 1pm 

Rustem Hayroudinoff, piano 

WF Bach Fantasia in D minor, F19 

JC Bach Sonata in A major op.17 no. 5 

JCF Bach Sonata in E major 

  CPE Bach Sonata in F sharp minor WQ 52/4 

JCF Bach Sonata in E major 

Chopin Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise Brillante op. 22 

Described by Classic FM Magazine as a “sensationally gifted” musician of “stunning artistry”, Rustem Hayroudinoff has performed to critical acclaim worldwide.  The disc of the Rachmaninov Études-Tableaux was hailed as a ‘benchmark recording’ and became BBC Music’s Instrumental Choice of the Month, as well as being nominated for the Best Instrumental CD of the Year award. It was also selected as the finest existing version of these pieces by BBC Radio 3’s ‘Building a Library’.  

 

Wednesday 15 June at 1pm 

Emmanuel Bach, violin/Artur Haftmann, piano 

Beethoven Sonata No.7 in C minor, Op.30 No.2 

Ysaÿe Solo Sonata No.6 in E, Op.27 No.6  (Manuel Quiroga) 

Paganini Caprice No.24 

Chopin Nocturne in F sharp Major Op. 15, No. 2 

Chopin Ballade in A flat Major Op. 47 

Tchaikovsky Valse-Scherzo, Op.34 

Emmanuel has been awarded many prizes in international competitions He has performed in London’s major concert halls as well as across the UK and widely in Europe.  His recent third CD ‘Lennox in Paris’ was described by Pizzicato magazine as ‘an intense journey through time’. 

Polish pianist, Artur Haftmann has received numerous awards in international competitions, including 1st prize in the International Music Competition “Musicaclassica” in Moscow. Currently, upcoming concerts include a Grand Tour in China. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.wordpress.com/2020/12/15/artur-haftman-at-st-marys-for-the-glory-of-chopin/

Wednesday 22 June at 1pm 

Alexander Boyd, piano 

Scarlatti 4 Sonatas  

K208 A major N.61; K209 A major N.62;  

K87 B minor N.5; K262 B major N.82 

Soler Fandango R146 D minor 

Chopin Impromptu N.2 Op.36 and N.3 Op.51  

Ballade N.3 Op.47 and Ballade N.4 Op.52 

Barcarolle Op.60  

Alexander Boyd gave his first concert at the age of 11 and has since then performed at many of the world’s leading concert halls. He has been appreciated by audiences for the sensitivity and integrity of his interpretations.  He has also made numerous critically acclaimed recordings. 

Wednesday 29 June at 1pm 

Victor Maslov, piano 

Rachmaninoff 6 Etudes-Tableaux op.33 

Medtner Sonata-Reminiscenza op.38 

Godowsky 3 pieces from “Java Suite”: I. 

 Gamelan, X. In the Kraton, XII. A court pageant in Solo 

Russian pianist Victor Maslov has enjoyed success in international competitions, including the Rachmaninoff Competition in Moscow and the Classic Piano Competition in Dubai. He has performed throughout the UK, in Europe, Russia and at Carnegie Hall. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.wordpress.com/2021/06/05/victor-maslov-the-virtuous-virtuoso-virtually-at-st-jamess-piccadilly-4th-june-2021/