Excitement building for New Ross Piano Festival

It will soon be time for the New Ross Piano Festival, which runs from September 20-24 in St Mary’s Church of Ireland in New Ross.

There is something to please everyone. Some of the concerts are free. Some are in the morning and some late at night. Some are short and others quite long. There is classical music, some well known and some rarely heard.

There’s even completely newly commissioned music inspired by the Dunbrody Famine Ship no less, having its Irish premiere. There is jazz piano of the highest standard.  It 

When it comes to the classical aspect of the piano repertoire, this year there is a lot of Rachmaninov, on the 150th anniversary of his birth.

Lucy Parham is bringing the actor Tim McInnerny to perform Elegie, a musical journey through Rachmaninov’s life and compositions. Readers may know Tim from  his appearances in Blackadder and Game of thrones amongst numerous other TV and film roles. One of Britain’s finest pianists, Lucy Parham applies her sensitivity and imagination not only to concertos and recitals, but also to portraits in words and music of such composers as Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy and now Rachmaninov. 

Cellist Alexander Chaushian is renowned for his Rachmaninov interpretations and performs regularly at venues such as the Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Konzerthaus Vienna, Suntory Hall Japan, as well as Carnegie Hall in New York, and Symphony Hall in Boston.

He will join with Yevgeny Sudbin to perform Rachmaninov’s Sonata for cello and piano.  Pianist Yevgeny Sudbin has been hailed by The Telegraph as “potentially one of the greatest pianists of the 21st century”. 

All of Yevgeny’s recordings have met with critical acclaim and are regularly featured as CD of the Month by BBC Music Magazine or Editor’s Choice by Gramophone. 

In the opening main concert on Friday evening there will be two lovely Rachmaninov works. Cellist Alexander Chaushian will play the Vocalise with Finghin Collins, the Festival Artistic Director.  Yumeka Nakagawa, the young winner of the Clara Haskil piano competition, will be joined by Alexander and the violinist Mirijam Contzen to play the Trio Elegiaque, a piece that is said to be influenced by his admiration of Tchaikovsky.  The last item played at the Festival will be Rachmaninov too, his Preludes, Op. 23, No. 4 and the familiar No 5.  

Of course there are lots more composers featured, and some wonderful pianists. Someone to look forward to is Kit Downes, who is a BBC Jazz Award winning, Mercury Music Award nominated solo recording artist for ECM Records.  He will perform on Thursday evening. 

Earlier that day Belfast man, Scott Flanagan will give a lunchtime gig in the church.  He will be joined by familiar faces, Dave Redmond on bass and Kevin Brady on drums.  Scott will also be playing solo in the Dunbrody at 11 and 3, for two free sessions.

Ellen Jansson is no stranger to New Ross and is one of Ireland’s foremost pianists.  She was the solo pianist who marked the 2020 Festival with a very touching concert that was organised to mark the Festival, which was cancelled that year.  Ellen will be speaking and playing to second level music students and also giving a free public recital on Friday, the 22nd  at noon.

Canadian Meagan Milatz is coming over to play the Canadian composition about the Dunbrody.  She will also play a solo recital on Saturday at noon as well as taking part in each evening concert.

Mirijam Contzen on the violin will join Alexander Chaushian for the usual chamber music  element of the Piano Festival. She is an enthusiastic chamber player who has performed with such luminaries as Emanuel Ax, Janine Jansen, and Joshua Bell.

One of features of the festival is this mixture of the familiar and the lesser known. During the Festival Yumeka will play Chopin’s 24 Preludes Op.28, and Finghin will perform the beautiful Schubert piano Trio in E flat, as well as Chopin’s Nocturnes Op 9, nos 1 and 2. There will be Schumann, both Robert and Clara, Liszt, Berg and Scriabin, Mozart and Martin and other composers – something to satisfy everyone.  

Although this is primarily a classical music festival, there are other strands to explore.  The Thursday is all about Jazz.  Kitt Downes has toured the world playing piano, church organ and harmonium. He will give the evening concert. 

Scott Flanigan recently featured on the  “All about Jazz” website, and performs regularly across the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe, and has recently collaborated with Van Morrison, the Ulster Orchestra, Rob Luft, Jim Mullen and Linley Hamilton. His trio will perform at lunchtime and he himself will give two free solo recitals during the day at the Dunbrody Visitor Centre.

The festival has always encouraged a youth element, in several ways. There is one whole evening concert given by 20 young piano students from the South East on Wednesday at 7.30,  there are sessions in the library with primary school children, and the Friday talk and recital to second level students in the church, as well as a public master-class with one of the guest pianists, Lucy Parham, and two advanced students on the Saturday afternoon in the Parish Centre. 

For more, see www.newrosspianofestival.com