Description

Renowned pianist Julian Jacobson will show the versatility of the St. Andrew's upright piano by performing a selection of
Beethoven, Debussy, Byrd and Chabrier during this informal and informative evening.

Come along and be inspired by one of Britain's finest pianists, demonstrating the range of possibilities achievable from an ageing yet beautiful upright piano.

The Piano

The piano at St Andrew's Waterside Mission Church at Gravesend has been a mainstay of the Fourth Portal Lab since we arrived. People of all levels and musical interests tinkle, experiment and occasionally burst into virtuoso performances.

Innovation sits at the heart of the Fourth Portal mission and how seemingly almost obsolete equipment and instruments are still full of life when in the right hands.

Julian Jacobson

One of Britain?s most creative and distinctive pianists, Julian Jacobson is acclaimed for the vitality, colour and insight he brings to his enormous repertoire ranging across all styles and periods. Following early acclaim as a duo and ensemble pianist performing with many leading British and international soloists, he has gained increasing admiration as a penetrating and imaginative soloist. His 70th birthday was marked by a series of four recitals at St John?s Smith Square, where he was invited to return in August 2020 to perform the Liszt B minor Sonata in a series of concerts marking the reopening of the hall. His reputation as an important Beethoven pianist was cemented by a whole series of sonata cycles, beginning in 1994, and he has now presented the cycle twelve times. Five of these cycles were ?marathon? performances where he performed the complete 32 sonatas, from memory, in a single day; his 2013 performance, at St. Martin-in-the-Fields London, was broadcast worldwide and received rave reviews. In November 2022 he presented the marathon in London and six days later at the Festival of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, on the occasion of his 75th birthday. Since 2014 he has been Chairman and Artistic Director of the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe.

Julian Jacobson has performed at the leading UK festivals including Aldeburgh, Bath, Brighton, Cheltenham, Dartington, Edinburgh, Huddersfield, Leicester, Norwich, Prussia Cove on tour, and Belfast Sonorities. His international career has taken him to more than forty countries on five continents. Concerto appearances include London Symphony, BBC Symphony, City of Birmingham, English Chamber, London Mozart Players, London Sinfonietta, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Bucharest Philharmonic, Icelandic Symphony and Royal Omani Symphony Orchestras. A large and varied discography for labels including Decca Argo, Chandos, Hyperion, Meridian, BIS, Naxos, Continuum and SOMM includes acclaimed recordings of Balakirev, Dvorak, Martinu, the complete sonatas of Carl Maria von Weber and duo sonatas of Brahms and Enesco.

Composers who have written for him include Robert Saxton, Simon Bainbridge, Benedict Mason, Philip Cashian, Daryl Runswick, Charles Camilleri, Keith Tippett and Erika Fox whose concerto ?David Spielt vor Saul? he premiered with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in 2022. Michael Nyman wrote the trio ?Time Will Pronounce? for his former ensemble the Trio of London, recorded on Decca Argo. In 1987 he gave the acclaimed UK premiere of Ligeti?s now famous Etudes Book 1; a subsequent BBC recording was highly praised by the composer. A composer himself, his works are published by Bardic Edition and Faber. His transcriptions of Gershwin?s ?An American in Paris? and Second Rhapsody have received rave reviews and many performances: he recorded them for SOMM in August 2020 with his regular duo partner Mariko Brown. He has also composed and conducted five film scores including ?To The Lighthouse? (1983) and ?We Think The World Of You? (1988).

*Doors will open at 7pm and the event will run from 7:30pm-9:30pm.*

Description

St Andrew's Art Centre,19 Royal Pier Road,

Gravesend,

Kent,

England,

DA12 2BD.