October 2016– March 2017

www.amershamconcerts.org.uk

General InformationTickets

Enjoy fi ve concerts for the price of four!The season ticket price continues to represent real value. In addition to the fi ve concerts, a season ticket includes annual membership of the Concert Club, priority booking for our trips and, from time to time, a free ticket for one of the concerts to enable you to introduce a friend to the concerts.Just complete the form and send it to the Membership Secretary, with a SAE, as instructed on the form. Please give the names of all holders of season or Friends tickets.

Friends of Amersham Concert Club: we are grateful for the generous support of those members who give additional fi nancial help to the Club.

Single tickets for the concerts can also be purchased from the Box Offi ce (01494 765420) or online from our website (www.amershamconcerts.org.uk) or in person from The Record Shop, Hill Avenue, Amersham, or Perfect Pitch in Chesham. Tickets are generally available at the door.

Children and young people (under 18) are always welcome and attend free.

We reserve the right to substitute artists and switch venues as required by circumstances outside our control

Getting to the concertsThe school is a 10 minute walk from Chalfont and Latimer Station (Metropolitan Line and Chiltern Railways)There is plenty of free parking at the school and a range of restaurants and pubs in the vicinity.Disabled access: we do everything we reasonably can to make our concerts accessible, within the limits of the venue, but please check with the Box Offi ce.

Opera and Concert Trips:Most years we try to arrange one or more coach trip to see an opera or concert. Door to door service from Amersham Community Centre Car Park to the venue, typically leaving around 5:00pm. A chance to see a high class production or symphony concert at reduced price through block booking.

The Club gratefully acknowledges the generous support of individual donors and of The Countess of Munster Musical Trust (concert on 25th February) and the Making Music Young Concert Artists Award Scheme (concert on 29th October).

ACC is a registered charity (number 1048911 ) and is a member of Making Music

Dr Challoner’s High SchoolCokes Lane

Little ChalfontHP7 9QB

50th Anniversary Season

“World Class musicians performing live, locally”

Saturday 25th March 2017 at 7pm (please note earlier start time)

Acacia Flute and Harp DuoSamantha Pearce – flute, Heather Wrighton - harp

Samantha Pearce was born in Kent and studied at the North East of Scotland Music School in Aberdeen with David Nicholson. She is currently a professional freelance flautist performing in chamber and orchestral concerts around the country. Samantha has given a solo recital at the Royal Festival Hall and enjoyed performing with many of the UK’s finest orchestras including BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Opera and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. She is also a member of the “Live Music Now” scheme and a keen Baroque flute player.

Heather Wrighton was inspired to play the harp at the age of six and as a junior student at Trinity College of Music she studied harp with Gabriella Dall’Olio and Frances Kelly and continued her studies at The Royal Academy of Music, London with Karen Vaughan. Heather currently freelances as a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician which has led her to perform at prestigious concert venues including The Royal Festival Hall, Cardiff Millennium Centre, Royal Opera House, Cadogan Hall, St John’s, Smith Square, Kings College Chapel, Cambridge, Glyndebourne, Kensington and St James’s Palaces. From a young age Heather has been interested in different types of harps and in addition to the Classical Harp she plays Celtic, Baroque triple and Paraguayan Harps.

“Classical Moments.” Programme includes Sonatas by Bach and Donizetti, pieces by Faure, Debussy and Piazzola, some less familiar composers and concludes with Borne’s dramatic “Carmen Fantasie”.

“Each piece was a delight with such sparkling performances. What fantastic musicians they are.”Professor John Lord

“Full of variety and very entertaining, coupled with superb music-making.”Roger Broadbent

Alexander Ardakov is a graduate of the Moscow Conservatoire and a prizewinner at the Viotti International competition in Italy. His move to England has allowed him to pursue a double career of teaching and performance. His role as Professor of Piano at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance has not prevented him from developing into an exceptional recitalist of versatility and musical integrity

Among his notable radio recordings are those for BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. He feels at home not only with the Russian classics but also with the composers of the romantic period such as Chopin, Liszt and Schumann.

Alexander’s extensive discography includes Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Alexander Gibson. Further CD recordings are planned.

Ugne Tiskute – viola Alexandra Vaduva – piano

Sonata in F minor for viola and piano BrahmsPrelude (1st cello suite, viola version) in G major J S BachIntermezzi Op117 for piano BrahmsRomeo and Juliet Suite (movements 1,2,4,6) ProkovievSonata for viola and piano Rebecca Clarke

Saturday 25th February 2017 at 8:00 pm

Ugne Tiskute – young and vibrant Lithuanian born violist - is a winner of various international competitions and major awards and has established herself as a widely renowned musician.

Ugne has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe and China. She has also appeared as a guest conductor and soloist at the International Avanti Festival, Kaunas. Recently Ugne was invited to perform and talk at the BBC 3 Radio “In Tune” programme.

Romanian-born pianist Alexandra Vaduva started playing the piano at the age of 4 with the teacher Doina Olteteanu. Since then she has won numerous national and international piano competitions, whilst maintaining a busy concert schedule. Alexandra has recently performed Stravinsky’s Piano Concerto with the Royal Academy of Music Wind Orchestra conducted by Keith Bragg and the “Petrushka“ ballet suite conducted by Thierry Fischer.

Amersham Concert Club registered charity 1048911

Postal Applications should be sent, with a cheque made payable to Amersham Concert Club and a stamped, self addressed envelope, to the Membership Secretary, 9 Lime Tree Walk, Amersham, HP7 9HY The information you provide will be held securely on computer for our records only. We will not share your data with anyone else.

Continued overleaf

Divertimenti has become widely acclaimed as one of the most exciting and innovative British chamber groups of its generation. Four of the players in this outstanding ensemble were founder members at its inception in 1978. All five are top ranking players with a wealth of world wide concert experience between them, as soloists and orchestral principals as well as chamber music players. Long standing friends, they share an evergreen love of music making, and a passion for the rich sonorities of the string ensemble repertoire.

‘Divertimenti give a brilliant, highly committed performance.’ Gramophone

‘Exquisite chamber music... warm and expressive performances.’ BBC Record Review

‘The playing by Divertimenti is superb. They bring much warmth and colour to this excellent disc and give an excellent account of two very beautiful pieces of British music.’MusicWeb International

DivertmentiPaul Barritt, Rachel Isserlis violins, Jonathan Barritt violaSebastian Comberti, Josephine Horder cellosFantasia in F minor K594 Mozart String Quintet in C major (arranged Lauterbach) BoccheriniString Quintet in C major D956 Schubert

Amy Green – saxophone, Christine Zerafa - piano

Divertimento Roger BoutryConcerto in D minor Alessandro MarcelloPièce en forme de Habanera Maurice RavelSix Studies in English Folk Songs Ralph Vaughan WilliamsScaramouche Darius MilhaudRhapsodie Claude DebussyTableaux de Provence Paule MauriceSonata Op 29 Robert MuczynskiThe Devil’s Rag Jean Matitia

Saturday 8th October 2016 at 8:00 pmGala Concert with cake and sparkling wine

Saturday 29th October 2016 at 8:00 pm

Amy was honoured to be awarded the prestigious Tagore Gold Medal and in 2014 was the first saxophonist ever to win the Edward and Helen Hague Senior Woodwind Prize at the Royal College of Music. She is delighted to be selected as a Park Lane Group Artist 2015/16 and to have been awarded the Making Music Philip and Dorothy Green Award for Young Concert Artists 2015, under which scheme she appears here.

Maltese pianist Christine Zerafa has appeared in various venues including the Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall and has received several awards including the RNCM Clifton Helliwell Prize, the RAM Scott Huxley Prize and Eric Brough Award. She is also a Park Lane Group and Tunnell Trust Artist.

Christine gained a MMus in solo performance at the Royal Northern College of Music with Norma Fisher and later studied with Andrea Lucchesini at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole in Florence.

Alexander Ardakov – pianoRachmaninov: Melodie, Elegie, Ten Preludes Polichinelle, Chopin: Etudes and Ballades

Saturday 19th November 2016 at 8:00 pm

Single Concert Tickets Price Number Total

8th October 2016 ( Divertimenti) 8 pm £15

29th October 2016 (Saxophone/piano duo) 8pm £15

19th November 2016 (Alexander Ardakov) 8pm £15

25th February 2017 (Viola / piano duo) 8 pm £15

25th March 2017 (Flute /Harp duo) 7 pm £15

25th March 2017 Anniversary Supper (8.45pm) £15

Total amount payable

Season Ticket (all 5 concerts plus membership of the club, nb Anniversary Supper ticket must be purchased separately)

Young person’s season ticket

Booking Form

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As well as her flourishing solo career, Amy Green is a talented chamber and orchestral musician, performing with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in the Royal Albert Hall and Suzhou, China, also with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonia. In 2014, she graduated with Distinction from her Masters at the Royal College of Music (RCM), London, having gained her Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours there two years earlier.

“Alexander’s audiences are never left indifferent, they are swept up in the sensitivity, intensity and passion of his playing that takes them on a journey from the most tender and intimate perceptions to the dramatic peaks of life’s greatest moments. Each meeting with him is a virtuoso performance that leaves the hearer emotionally sated yet still thirsty for more.” Daryl Hardman

Dear Music Lover

Welcome to our 50th Anniversary Season of outstanding

chamber music concerts in Little Chalfont!

Over the last fi fty years we have welcomed a wide range of excellent musicians, many of them young artists who have gone on to international fame. This season is, we hope, another exciting mix of youth and experience, well-loved works and the unfamiliar.

We are delighted to start with Divertimenti, a renowned ensemble playing Schubert’s great Quintet for 2 violins, viola and 2 cellos. Later in the season we are pleased to have Alexander Ardakov playing a wonderful programme of piano music by Rachmaninov and Chopin. Alexander is a pianist who needs no introduction in the Amersham area and his performance is sure to be thrilling.

The season also includes three very different duos, a saxophone and piano, a viola and piano, and a fl ute and harp, with some lovely varied programmes. The Club is grateful to the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the Making Music Young Concert Artists Award Scheme for their support for these concerts.

Do come and celebrate with us, with cake and sparkling wine in the interval of our opening concert, and our two course Anniversary Supper after the fi nal concert of the series (tickets available separately).

We look forward to seeing you in the autumn.

Jenny FaulknerChairman

£60

Free

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