Welcome to the Shrewsbury International Piano Recital website. Each year, we invite young international classical pianists to perform paid recitals to help their early careers. We have been greatly helped in this by the Keyboard Charitable Trust, particularly Christopher Axworthy, who represents this fine organisation that supports the most accomplished young classical pianists by arranging concert performances throughout the world.

Past performers in Shrewsbury include some of the most promising and talented young pianists in the world, including Anna Fedorova, Elisabeth Brauss, Daniel Lebhardt, Dinara Klinton, Nikita Lukinov, Shunta Morimoto, Milda Daunoraite, Pietro Fresa, Maria Linares and Matthew McLachlan. Most of the performances take place in one of the beautiful historic churches in Shrewsbury.

Shrewsbury is a beautiful old medieval town and our audience is knowledgable and generous in its welcome to brilliant musicians. The support our audience provides enables us to pay reasonable fees to our artists, and we aim to treat them as musical royalty, which, of course, they are. We stand in admiration of their talent, hard work and dedication in doing justice to the great composers. We are a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers and if any profit is made, it is donated to charities or to the upkeep of the beautiful old churches in our town

Matthew McLachlan is based in London and plays for the first time in Shrewsbury on Tuesday 17th October 2023 at 1pm in St Alkmunds. Matthew is British and currently studies at the Royal College of Music in London. He will perform in St Alkmunds Church as part of the Shrewsbury International Piano Recitals for students still in tertiary education. The recital is free to attend, donations are welcome to help pay Matthew's fee and to support the superb musical activities of this beautiful church. The varied musical performances are voluntarily organised by the indefatigable Jeremy Lund and Caroline Thewles. Many thanks to them for giving these youngsters the chance to shine and develop their careers.

DINARA KLINTON

Sunday 22nd October 2023

St Chads Church, Shrewsbury

Dinara returns to Shrewsbury following her recital at Shrewsbury Abbey in spring 2022, where she played to raise funds for Ukraine Humanitarian Relief (DEC). She was one of the four pianists who performed for free and, with the support of St Alkmunds, St Chads and the Abbey helped to raise £20,000, thanks to the generosity of those who attended.

Dinara is a world-class pianist and comes to us shortly after performing with the RPO in the Royal Albert Hall. Born in Ukraine, she now lives in the UK and is a Professor at the Royal College of Music and the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music. Her recital explores the love triangle formed by Clara, Robert Schumann and the young Johannes Brahms. She will play the Arabesque and Fantaisiestucke by Robert, the 3 Romances by Clara and the second piano sonata of Johannes Brahms.

Tickets available via the Shropshire Music Trust.

ELISABETH BRAUSS

Sunday 5th May 2024 afternoon

The Maidment Auditorium, Shrewsbury School

Elisabeth Brauss returns to Shrewsbury for her second recital here. She performs regularly for BBC Radio 3, gives two recitals a year at the Wigmore Hall and last season played extensively with the Halle Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder.

Elisabeth is a true poet of the keyboard, listening intently to every note she plays. Her recital includes Beethoven's Sonata Op.31 No.2 "The Hunt", followed by Prokofiev's 10 Pieces Op.12 (selection). After the intermission she finishes with Schumann's Carnaval. My feeling is that Elisabeth may prove the successor to the likes of Murray Perahia.

Tickets will be available via the Shropshire Music Trust.

FORTHCOMING RECITALS

Mariam Batsashvili

The famous Georgian pianist plays her first recital in Shropshire on Sunday 19th January 2025 at 2.30pm in St Chads Church, Shrewsbury as part of the Shropshire Music Trust 2024-2025 Season. Mariam has already played in over 30 countries around the world since winning the 10th Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht 2014.

Programme

Haydn Sonata in D major Hob. 37.

Beethoven Rondo a capriccio, Op. 129. “Rage Over a Lost Penny”

Brahms Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118.

***

Schubert Impromptus Op. 142 Nos. 2 and 4.

Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody Nos. 12 and 13.

Tickets available from Ticketsource at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/smt

William Bracken

William Bracken will play the second International Piano Recital sponsored by the Keyboard Trust and the Robert Turnbull Piano Foundation in St Alkmunds Church as part of their free Tuesday lunchtime concert series. He will perform at 1pm on Tuesday April 1st 2025 and donations to cover costs and help develop musical activities in the church are welcome.

William Bracken is in high demand as a recitalist, concerto soloist, chamber musician and teacher. The Wirral-born pianist has won numerous awards including 1st prize at the 2022 Liszt Society International Piano Competition, 1st prize, press prize and audience prize at the 2023 Euregio Piano Award international piano competition and 3rd prize at the 2024 UniSA international piano competition in South Africa. He is currently continuing studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where he also holds a position as teaching assistant in the Centre for Creative Performance and Classical Improvisation.

His programme will be...

L.v. Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.7, Op.10 No.3.

Robert Schumann: (from Fantasiestucke op. 12):

Warum?

In der nacht

Clara Schumann: Nocturne Op.6, No. 2.

F. Liszt (from Annees de Pelerinage Suisse):

Au lac de Wallenstadt

Vallee d'Obermann