Friday 7th December 2007: Piano Recital by Sarah Beth Briggs

Programme:

Bach: Partita no. 1 in B flat
Mozart: Sonata in F, K332
Bartok: Suite, op. 14
Brahms: Intermezzos and Rhapsody, Op. 119
Debussy: From Preludes Bk. 1:
                Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest
                La cathedrale engloutie
                Minstrels
Chopin: Ballade no. 4 in F minor.

Pianist Sarah Beth Briggs “an artist of extraordinary magnetism” (Daily Telegraph) gained international recognition when she became joint winner of the International Mozart Competition in Salzburg . She had previously made a very successful start to her UK career by becoming one of the youngest ever finalists in the history of the BBC Young Musician of the Year at 11, and going on to make her Fairfield Hall concerto debut just a year later.

Her solo career has taken her to Germany , Switzerland , Austria , France , Italy and the USA , where particularly prestigious engagements have included work with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra in Vienna 's Konzerthaus, and a series of appearances at San Francisco 's Midsummer Mozart Festival. Sarah's many collaborations with UK orchestras include concerts with the Hallé, London Mozart Players, London Philharmonic, English Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, and Northern Sinfonia. Among her career highlights, she has featured as concerto soloist at both Manchester 's Bridgewater Hall, and London 's South Bank auditoria and Barbican Centre.

A much respected exponent of Mozart, Sarah performed many of his solo works in the 2006 anniversary year. Her Mozart concerto performances included her debut appearances with the Royal Philhamonic Orchestra and renowned conductor Charles Hazlewood. Shostakovich also featured frequently in Sarah's programmes, both in solo recitals and in performances with Trio Melzi.

Currently collaborating with sensational soprano Kathryn Harries and broadcaster Margaret Howard, Sarah's striking three woman ensemble combines the arts of poetry, prose and music. In addition to Sarah's acclaimed duo recitals with virtuoso clarinettist, Janet Hilton, these Master Musicians are joined regularly by Laurence Perkins (bassoon) in a piano and wind trio ‘par excellence'. Their programmes are interspersed by solo items showing the diversity of this highly original combination.

Appropriately named in honour of Mozart's clarinettist, Anton Stadler, Sarah's newest venture with Janet also showcases the talents of brilliant violist, Robin Ireland (formerly of the world famous Lindsay String Quartet).

Reviews:

“She played (Mozart piano concerto K271) with great precision and with supreme ease. The serious, stately middle movement, of which she made a show piece of pianistic evocation of mood, seems particularly to have suited her natural talent.” Wiener Zeitung

“Her careful pianism comes through as a confident mixture of such technical elements as crystalline touch, elegant phrasing, singing line, precise voicing, lightness and agility. But in expressive sentiment, she went considerably beyond these attributes. “ - San Francisco Chronicle

“Sarah Beth Briggs played with an intelligence which had both style and a distinctive voice.” - The Daily Telegraph

“Soloist Sarah Beth Briggs gave a stunning performance, her virtuosity apparent in every stroke of the keyboard.” - The Musical Opinion

“… an exceptionally gifted musician” – The Guardian

“She has Mozart completely at her fingertips, and took great care over all the dovetailing with the orchestral parts, as well as providing delightful embellishments at cadence points and wonderfully vigorous full-blown cadenzas.” - Manchester Evening News

“… destined for the heights, both as virtuoso and interpreter.” - Michael Kennedy, The Daily Telegraph

“Briggs played with power, insight and commanding musicianship.” - Manchester Evening News

“I don't think I've heard a performance (of Beethoven's 4th piano concerto) as delicate and refined as this. Sarah Beth Briggs just commanded attention.” - The Irish News

“Sarah Beth built the overall architecture of Mozart's elusive plan in a specially satisfying way.

...great sensitivity and elegance.”

“She possesses a positively staggering technique.”

“s Briggs possesses a remarkable technique; she has finger dexterity of the highest quality, and her scale and arpeggio work, legato or staccato, is imbued with delicacy, limpidity and complete control.

...played with complementary crisp incisiveness and melting beauty.”

“She excitingly displayed supreme control during bravura passages.”

“I have never heard a finer performance [of Brahms Variations on a Theme by Handel] than this evening by Sarah Beth Briggs – a truly international festival standard of music making.”