Including live stream of concerts in Cokesbury and New York
CASTLETON THEATRE , VIRGINIA
Elias played magnificently yesterday at Castleton! The program was the longest on his tour — it was like a double marathon.
The subtlety of his playing and his intelligent phrasing is astounding – both powerful and deeply refined.Standing ovations from our (elderly and connoisseur…) audience! They leapt to their feet and couldn’t even wait for the last note to finish!And what a sweet, appreciative house guest he was… we miss him already!
Thank you, Sarah, for sending us this jewel.
Enjoy the time with him, everyone.
Warmest regards,
Dietlinde
I was able to talk with the architect of the theater who was so enthusiastic and kind in Castleton
Aw, I’m so touched – the atmosphere was very electric- the beautiful nature surroundings that was on my left side while I played the Schumann and the wonderful focused audience on my right – it felt so special in its own way.
All the audience were so so appreciative and thrilling – Elias
ARTS CLUB OF WASHINGTON
The atmosphere felt like a nice salon kind of vibe! I particularly liked the piano – it had such a warm sound to it – perfect for the Schumann and it cushioned the potentially harsh sounds that can arise from the Liszt too! It overall went well! I was able to talk to a few people and have dinner with Gloria and her husband. It was such a wonderful time. I would love to return to both Castelton and DC 😂) – Elias
Elias was brilliant, as you would expect. He arrived at the club at noon and was shown to his room and the piano. His recital was indeed well received, standing ovation, and a curtain call.
Mike took some pictures of him playing our brand new, simply gorgeous Steinway piano (Elias too fell in love with her. She is a gorgeous creature). He is only the 3rd pianist to play “Elisa Doolittle, Our Fair Lady”(I’ve baptized her with that moniker😍.With gratitude for all you do, Gloria
COKESBURY VILLAGE ,DELAWARE
Elias was fabulous! In Cokesbury You would have loved tonight’s concert! Spirited! Greeted with a standing ovation! My husband was standing in the back as people exited and reports rave reviews!
VIDEO LINK https://youtu.be/L4q1IonJt-U?si=sKH88BKEmQPZ-kqo
We had Elias come back to our cottage afterwards along with the daughters of Barbara Miller Clark, Great conversation! Elias is a dear, really special!
Attached are some of the many photos I took with my cell phone. Our residents were still raving today about his performance. And I am still marveling about what a nice/darling young man he is! He was a gift!
Fondly, Helen Foss.
COUNTRY HOUSE , PHILADELPHIA
Elias was more than I imagined. So kind, sweet and the performance, above and beyond!! Elias played for almost 90 minutes and received a standing ovation. The residents are still sending me e:mails about his performance.
Although it took some work to get him here, so worth it. I wish him so much success. A wonderful young man.
Jaime
Jamie L. Treese
Life Engagement Director
Country House Wilmington
Jamie- I do not know how you booked Elias Ackerley but he was FANTASTIC
A standing ovation from the residence- and quite a good crowd attended.
We all appreciate the culture that you bring to us.i am sorry you weren’t here to watch and listen…
We spoke after the concert. He really is a genius!
Judy took a few pictures to share with you
❤️❤️❤️Phyllis and Buddy
CONCERT IN A PRIVATE HOUSE FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS MUSICALES, PHILADELPHIA
Joe Paulits Review
Founded in 1933, Young Musicians Musicales’ mission is to provide performance opportunities to top young classical instrumental and vocal performers by presenting daytime concerts in exceptional private homes in Northwest Philadelphia and its nearby suburban communities.
Young Musicians Musicales opened its 91st season on October 16, 2024, on a spectacular autumn afternoon in Philadelphia with abundant and colorful fall foliage.
The concert was held in the beautiful and art-filled residence of one of the group’s members in Merion Station, just outside of Philadelphia. The residence features fabulous acoustics for chamber music. The home previously served as the library and offices of the Barnes Foundation, which is now located in Center City Philadelphia and houses one of the world’s greatest collections of impressionist and post-impressionist art.
Our guest performer on the host’s finely tuned Steinway was the fantastic young pianist, Elias Ackerley. Elias is a recent graduate of the renowned Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and is currently enrolled in the Master’s program at the Julliard School in New York. His performance with us was courtesy of our partnership with the London-based Keyboard Charitable Trust. The Trust identifies and assists in the development of top piano talent by providing performance opportunities around the globe. For our concert, Elias was clearly communing with the spirit of Beethoven in a rapturous performance of the composer’s penultimate piano sonata, the opus 110. He then beautifully explored the many moods of Schumann’s Kreisleriana, and showed his pyrotechnic “chops” with a fiery, passionate reading of Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody. Our enthralled and truly appreciative audience of Young Musicians Musicales members and their guests exclaimed praise for Elias’ poise, emotional range, and masterful technique in this challenging repertoire. We can only hope that Elias will continue to visit Philadelphia as he achieves ever more well-deserved acclaim in the Unites States and abroad. We are so grateful to the Keyboard Charitable Trust for sharing Elias and many other outstanding young performers with our organization.
KLAVIERHAUS, NEW YORK
Thank you for your kind note! Elias is a truly gifted pianist and musician, and a lovely and easy person to work with as well. I’m glad you were able to catch it.It was a most gratifying recital, and I’m very proud that we were able to present it.With all my best wishes,
Jed Distler Artistic Director Klavierhaus New York.
LIVE STREAM VIDEO : https://youtube.com/live/ixB6IL2eeuA
Elias writes : “I loved the piano so so much. The Fazioli pianos are some of my favorites to play especially when they’re kept well.”
p.s. An interesting note from James of Mumeneer Studio recordings : while Elias chose the Fazioli, our other house piano, the Hamburg Steinway D, was in the city of Hull during the second World War . So both you and us were in the company of survivors of the war. The legacy of human resilience lives on in all of us, especially through music
ELIAS ACKERLEY – USA TOUR: 12-20 OCTOBER 2024
PROGRAMMES
CASTLETON, VIRGINIA (90 mins – with interval)
Bach-Busoni – Chaconne in D minor BWV 1004 (15’)
Schumann – Kreisleriana Op. 16 (30’)
INTERVAL
Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op.110 (19’)
Liszt – Spanish Rhapsody (14’)
EVERYWHERE ELSE (60 mins – no interval)
Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op.110 (19’)
Schumann – Kreisleriana Op. 16 (30’)
Liszt – Spanish Rhapsody (14’)
Elias writes : Aww I’m so touched by all the messages – it really means so much to me ! I’m so glad they all enjoyed the performance!
For the Castleton concert on the 13th, I was welcomed so warmly by Dietlinde and Tony, although quite tired from the journey, I was so grateful to have been able to use their sauna which helped me relax before the lengthy recital the next day. The concert was received so enthusiastically. The Theatre was beautiful, and the piano was quite nice (the top register sometimes did have a metallic tone) but in general it was a great hall the sun beaming gently with the trees on to the stage
For the performance at DC, I was also warmly welcomed by Gloria and her husband and the Arts Club. It was actually a highlight for me. The piano was so gorgeous with a lovely Germanic middle register that suited the Schumann. The audience were so enthusiastic and I was able to connect with a few.
The YMM concert in Philadelphia was a lovely time. The piano was an old Steinway, with the original “Steinway” (no & sons). It had an old soul to it which I loved. I was very much welcomed by both Chris Huber as well as Suzanne Root. The audience were so excited and the performance went very well.The time afterwards with Chris and her husband at the Union Club was one of the highlights.I was so grateful!
At Cokesbury, i had the most warm welcome, Helen and Robert were such sweethearts. The venue and the piano was great, the performance was good for the most part, with slight difficulty at the end as the piano did go out of tune.
Country House was also a wonderful but short time. I loved Jamie who was always checking in on me and provided me with snacks and anything else I needed. The new Steinway was in need of more playing – it had a great warm tone but because it was so new, it was still developing the bigger sound that normally is expected with Steinways. The performance went very well. And the audience turnout was quite big and they were very enthusiastic.
Finally at Klavierhaus, the Fazioli was a wonderful instrument, I was so happy to have met Caroline and her friends as well, my personal friends also came which was lovely. The performance was quite good, I think the fatigue eventually did get the better at times but overall I felt quite good with the performance.
I just want to personally thank you. You really helped me in every possible way – I really really appreciate it! This tour wouldn’t have gone the way it did without your continuing help. Thank you so much! 🙏
ELIAS ACKERLEY
Elias Ackerley was born in England in 2001. His family emigrated to South Korea in 2002. He began piano lessons at the age of five and, after making rapid progress, at the age of eight, he started taking lessons with Russian pianist, Oleg Shitin.At the age of eleven (after his family moved back to the UK), Elias gave his debut recital in Chester. Since then, he has performed regularly in concerts throughout the UK, including as a concerto soloist with a number of orchestras. Between 2014 and 2019 Elias was a student at Chetham’sSchool of Music in the UK, where he was a pupil of Dr Murray McLachlan. In 2015, Elias became the youngest-ever winner of the Manchester Beethoven Competition.During this period Elias also won First Prize at the Scottish International Youth Piano Competition (2017), the Blue Ribbon at the National Eisteddfod (2017) and the Epta UK Piano Competition (2018). In 2018, he was also a keyboard finalist in the ‘BBC Young Musician of the Year’ Competition – and won Second Prize in the Rome International Piano Competition. In 2019, Elias was offered a place to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied with Professors Gary Graffman and Meng-Chieh Liu. He also had lessons with Yefim Bronfman. During his time at the Curtis Institute, Elias enjoyed successes in international competitions such as being a prize winner in the 2023 Aarhus International Piano Competition in Denmark, as well as being a finalist in the 2024 Montreal International Piano Competition. After his graduation from the Curtis Institute of Music, Elias was accepted at the Juilliard School in New York, where he is currently studying for a Master’s Degree with Professor Robert McDonald. In 2022, Elias was accepted onto the Kumho Young Artist concert programme in South Korea where he gave a debut recital in the Kumho Arts Centre in Seoul. He has also recently performed in other South Korean cities, such as in Seoul, Daejon, as well as in the F1963 venue in Busan. Elias has also given concerts across the United States including in Washington DC, New York and Philadelphia. Elias has participated in masterclasses with Sir Andras Schiff, Stephen Hough and Richard Goode, and has also received tuition from Leslie Howard, Boris Berman and Robert McDonald. From 2019 until 2023, Elias was a recipient of the Dr K.R. WeirLegacy Award, which generously supported him through the Keyboard Charitable Trust, London.
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I think you may still be able to catch Elias’s graduation recital on the Curtis’s website – and, possibly, his recital for the Final of the Montreal Piano Competition.
Christopher Axworthy, one of the Trust’s Artistic Directors, commented that Elias’s Beethoven in the Montreal was the highlight of the competition …. There’s more about him here: https://concoursmontreal.ca/en/competitors/elias-ackerley/ .
THE KEYBOARD CHARITABLE TRUST
for Young Professional Performers
Patron: SIR ANTONIO PAPPANO
Founded in 1991, the Keyboard Charitable Trust’s mission is to help young keyboard players reduce the element of chance in building a professional musical career. The Trust identifies the most talented young performers (aged 18-30) and assists their development by offering them opportunities to perform throughout the world. For the most gifted, this means débuts in London, New York, Mexico, Berlin, Rome and other music capitals.
In collaboration with its partners worldwide, the Keyboard Trust has developed a circuit of some fifty venues in seven principal countries, from the most prestigious concert halls to locations where classical music is rarely heard. Over the past thirty-three years, the Trust has presented over 300 young international pianists, historic keyboard players and organists (aged 18-30) in over 900 concerts worldwide.
With such notable musicians as the late Claudio Abbado, Alfred Brendel and Evgeny Kissin among its Trustees, this formula has proved its worth: many Trust artists receive an offer of a new engagement, a broadcast, a recording or management. Nearly half of the artists have subsequently made serious professional musical careers.
Recent years have seen a further expansion of the Trust’s work in Germany, Italy and Russia as well as in the USA where the distinguished conductor, the late Lorin Maazel, invited the Trust to present its artists at his Festival Theatre in Virginia.
Recent highlights include Elia Cecino winning the New Orleans International Competition in 2022 and the Valencia Iturbi International Competition in 2023; Pedro Lopez Salas winning Second Prize at the Ferrol International Piano Competition in Galicia in 2022; and George X. Fu winning BBC Music Magazine’s Newcomer Award for his album ‘Mirrors’ in 2024.
The Keyboard Charitable Trust is funded entirely by voluntary donations. Detailed information about the Trust, how to become a Friend, join the One Thousand Club or to provide corporate support, may be found on our website.
TRUSTEES
Nicola Bulgari (Hon. President) Geoffrey Shindler OBE (Chairman)
John Leech MBE (Co-Founder) Noretta Conci-Leech MBE (Co-Founder & Artistic Director 1990-2013)
Alfred Brendel KBE Evgeny Kissin Christopher Axworthy Moritz von Bredow Sasha Grynyuk
Dr Leslie Howard Sir Geoffrey Nice QC Dr Elena Vorotko
Claudio Abbado † (1991-2014) Nicholas Snowman OBE† (1991-2023)
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
Dr Leslie Howard Dr Elena Vorotko Christopher Axworthy
COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES
Moritz von Bredow (Germany) Christopher Axworthy (Italy) Caroline von Reitzenstein (USA)
ADMINISTRATION
Sarah Biggs (CEO): Email: sarahbiggs01@btinternet.com
Richard Thomas (Senior Executive): Email: richard@keyboardtrust.org
Registered Charity No. 1017036
A review from afar by Christopher Axworthy
A quite remarkable recital and beautifully recorded for all to enjoy as the audience in Cokesbury Village obviously did with a spontaneous standing ovation after a Spanish Rhapsody the like of which I have not heard since Gilels. Elias under the guidance of the legendary Gary Graffman has become a supreme stylist where everything he plays makes such complete sense.There was not a moment in the entire recital where notes were just thrown off ( as Nadia Boulanger would quote from Shakespeare :Words without thought no more to heaven go).
Even in the Spanish Rhapsody that in Liszt’s day would have had the refined ladies of court screaming like wild animals and trying to to grab any souvenir of their idol to take home,perchance to dream. In Elias’s hands there was just such showmanship but played with a refined intelligence and musical understanding together with an astonishing technical mastery not just playing to please anyone, but to please the composer to whom he was but a faithful servant.
Beethoven that I remember from his performance in Montreal was of quite extraordinary beauty as the opening trill was given all the time necessary to unwind into one of Beethoven’s most poignant outpourings.There was time taken too to savour the E flat that so miraculously changes to D flat for the development.Allowing the music to unravel with such clarity that the glowing melodic line was duetting with a bass of undulating sounds. Here was an intelligence combined with a timeless style that could allow the music to breathe and take on a life of it’s own in a quite magical way. A coda that just drew all the strands together in a quite miraculous manner.
The Allegto molto was played with dynamic drive and a rhythmic precision of impeccable musicianship.The precipitous Trio was played with musical coherence that the treacherous leaps were not even a consideration as it was the music not the note picking accuracy that guided this young man’s blessed hands.There was magic as the Scherzo dissolved into a carefully placed left hand wave of sounds that linked this movement to the etherial world of the Adagio. Beautifully poised in a cloud of heavenly murmurings brought to such a poignant ending before the palpitating heartbeat took us into the paradise that Beethoven could already see before him . A wondrous sense of balance allowed the melody to sing as a true Arioso dolente and again what a joy to see the full stop so gently and fearlessly placed on the last A flat.A fugue ‘ spianato ‘ on a wave of gentle sounds where every strand had a voice of its own as it gently moved forward to the mighty E flat that again miraculously becomes D natural as we enter deep into the composers heart.’Perdendo le forse’ yes but also breathing in gasps where Beethoven’s notation of little rests became miraculously clear in this young poets hands. A whispered mirror of the fugue like a distant shadow but that gradually comes nearer and nearer as Beethoven’s ultimate exhilaration turns to the joy of eternal life. A quite remarkable performance that was deeply appreciated by the discerning audience at Cokesbury.
Schumann’s Eight Fantasies op 16 that make up Kreisleriana were made up of miniature tone poems of remarkable beauty and style .There was a dynamic drive to the first played with a wondrous fluidity of undulating sounds of passionate intensity. Keeping the same tempo but changing character for the central episode that was a long glorious outpouring of song .There was a beautiful natural sweep to the second with its long legato octave melodic line played with a wondrous legato that was a combination of fingers like limpets and a masterly use of the pedal .A natural rubato like just running over a gentle slope in the car!A complete change of character for the two intermezzi interludes but miraculously were architecturally held under the same roof without disturbing the musical line of the longest of the fantasies. And what a wondrous goodbye too with the final four bars barely whispered like the end of a great lied , the piano reaching places where words are just not enough. A glorious stream of melody in the central episode of the third where the melodic line overlapped with passionate intensity .It contrasted with the very rhythmic outer sections until the final explosion of power and drive with double octaves being mirrored as the tension rose to boiling pitch.
A deeply felt ‘Sehr langsam’ came as a blissful relief played with disarming simplicity and the ‘bewegter’ like a breath of pure air .Elias’s eyes were glued to the keys for the fifth trying to keep track of Schumann’s capricious wilfulness which every so often would burst into song and build to a passionate climax before burning itself out at the bottom of the keyboard. The deeply melancholic outpouring of the sixth was played with a wondrous sensibility and even the ‘demisemiquavers’ became part of this deep lament .The genius of Schumann followed on like in Davidsbundler op 6 where a gentle ripple can miraculously take wing and take us into a sumptuous moment of secret longing. A hysterical outburst of technical mastery from Elias in the seventh fantasy where even the notes in the left hand ,usually shared , were fearlessly played as the composer had written them.The final calming chords were played non legato but with a glowing melodic line that took us to the final whispered ending where all energy was finally spent. It was here that the first notes of the eighth were played with unusual clarity which gave great character to this most elusive and enigmatic movements . This is the Schumann of split personality which Elias understood to perfection as the quixotic turned into neurotic at the click of a semiquaver! Even the final passionate outburst was played with a supreme sense of balance and architectural shape .So often hammered out it was here almost whispered in places to devastating emotional effect.Another superb performance from this poet of the keyboard.
Liszt’s variations on La Folia were played by a true master.Elias had all the emotional and technical reserves that could create moments of deep almost operatic beauty but then lead to a Tom and Gerry type build up of breathtaking exhilaration and excitement .I never thought I would hear a performance to match that of Gilels in London in the sixties, until today from this extraordinarily modest young man with a volcano hidden away in his midst!
A standing ovation for a remarkable recital of Beethoven op 110,Schumann op 16 and Liszt Spanish Rhapsody
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 