After the mammoth vocal weekend Celebrating the Voice, Drogheda Classical Music presents a concert of romantic and exciting chamber music that series Director Pauline Ashwood described to Drogheda Life as: “a beauty, my favourite combination of instruments.”
This Friday, 10 Feb at 7:30pm in St Peter’s Church of Ireland, British pianist Leon McCawley returns to Drogheda with an exceptional duo of musicians, violinist Mia Cooper and cellist Brian O’Kane playing pianos trios by Clara Schumann and Antonin Dvorak.
At the time of writing this work, Clara Schumann was probably as well-known, if not more so than her husband Robert, yet like many female composers of the time were overlooked in the history books, as a result this fine piano trio has been underperformed for too many years. In contrast, Dvorak’s Piano Trio No 3 is complex and masterful, full of intense contrast and possibly his greatest chamber work.
One of Britain’s foremost pianists, Leon McCawley has forged a highly successful career since winning first prize in the 1993 International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna and second prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition the same year. Since then, his concert performances and extensive discography have established him as a pianist of great integrity and variety, bringing freshness and vitality to repertoire.
Leader of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Mia Cooper studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Yossi Zivoni and has been involved in a wide variety of music making in the ten years since. She was principal first violin of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for five years, and also regularly plays and records with London’s chamber orchestras and ensembles
Irish cellist Brian O’Kane enjoys a busy career as both soloist and chamber musician. Since winning first prize at the Windsor International String Competition in 2008, he has made his debuts with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra under Ashkenazy and in recital at the Wigmore Hall.
Individual Concert Tickets are €20 (€18 conc.) and can be booked in advance through Droichead Arts Centre on 041 9833946 or www.droichead.com with further information available from www.droghedaclassicalmusic.com
The Series is funded by the Arts Council and Louth County Council and run in partnership with Droichead Arts Centre with sponsorship from WhitelightEvents and RTÉ Supporting the Arts.
Programme
Clara Schumann Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 17
Dvorak Piano Trio No. 3, in F minor, Op. 65
