09 September 2024
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The British pianist is touring some of Chopin’s most beloved piano music this autumn, with concerts in Prague, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France
The UK leg includes major halls such as at Birmingham Conservatoire and the Stoller Hall in Manchester, and more intimate venues including London’s 1901 Arts Club. Those who cannot attend in person can enjoy a livestream from St George’s Bristol on 27 November.
The music of Chopin has been central to Lisney’s repertoire since his Wigmore Hall debut in 1986, the Times noting his “exquisitely controlled performances" and “distinctive quality”.
James Lisney, a ‘great great grand pupil’ of Chopin through his teacher Phyllis Sellick, remarks that, “Audiences love this music, and playing it is a fascinating challenge. Chopin gets to the heart of our physical relationship with the instrument, and to the beauty and meaning of a score. He exemplifies exactitude and classical values yet demands poetic recreation and improvisation. I agree with Arthur Rubinstein that Chopin’s music transcends barriers and gains favour from connoisseur and casual listener alike.”
Lisney’s Chopin tour draws its title from the set of poems published by Adam Mickiewizc in 1822. The programme portrays Chopin as the salon virtuoso of the impromptus, the masterly narrator of the ballades, and the ultimate poet of a selection of the nocturnes.
UK Concert dates:
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27 September, Stamford Arts Centre, Stamford, Lincs.
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13 October, Rose Hill School, Royal Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival
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24 October, Sudbury Quay Theatre, Sudbury, Suffolk
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27 November, St George’s, Bristol (includes a live stream)
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28 November, Stoller Hall, Manchester
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29 November & 6 December 1901 Arts Club, London
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1 December, Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Further information can be found on James Lisney's website.
Image: © S. Maeder