World-class musicians take to Derry’s stages this week

Thursday, March 5 (7.30pm) sees Rising Stars Piano Extravaganza in The Glassworks. These are four outstanding young pianists from China, Taiwan and the USA, including the 2019 Walled City Music International Piano Competition winner Selene Wu, who will present an entertaining programme of piano favourites from 2 to 8 hands. An ideal curtain raiser for the 2020 Walled City Music Festival!

Friday, March 6 (7.30pm) in the Great Hall, Ulster University Magee, there’s an evening to celebrate the 250th birthday of one of classical music’s most iconic figures, Ludwig van Beethoven, in the company of leading American pianist Awadagin Pratt, the Benyounes String Quartet and the Festival’s Artistic Directors, Cathal Breslin and Sabrina Hu.

In addition to an exciting series of evening concerts featuring the legendary Bang on a Can All Stars from New York, leading American pianist Awadagin Pratt and international chamber ensemble Trio Festivale, the festival welcomes Benyounes Quartet and Northern Ireland Opera Studio for a lunchtime series across the weekend.

On Saturday, March 7, the Benyounes String Quartet (with Derry cellist Kim Vaughan) perform an all-American themed lunchtime recital with Erich Korngold’s lush String Quartet No. 3 and Antonín Dvorak’s popular ‘American’ Quartet, Op. 96, in the Great Hall at Ulster University Magee. While the Trio Festivale: Some Day perform in The Glassworks at 7.30pm.

On Sunday, March 8, in the Great Hall, the young talent of the Northern Ireland Opera Studio present a lunchtime programme of operatic favourites and rare musical gems from the last two centuries, including works by Gioachino Rossini, Victor Herbert, and Cole Porter, amongst others. While Bang on a Can All Stars: Field Recordings perform in The Glassworks at 7.30pm.

Fiona Crosbie, General Manager Walled City Music, commented: “We are very much looking forward to a week of exciting, memorable and spectacular performances from some of the world’s best classical musicians in our city’s outstanding venues. We have a real variety of music spanning the centuries, from celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven to music composed for this very festival, performed by rising stars and legendary musicians. A feast of classical and contemporary music awaits!”

Also Derry-born composer Christopher Norby will hold a Q&A workshop on Friday, March 6, 11.15am in MU211, Ulster University Magee where he discusses his newly-commissioned piece ‘Some Day: A Piece about Civil Rights’, which will be performed on Saturday, March 7 by Trio Festivale. Admission is free.

Tickets: All tickets are now on sale and can be purchased via the Millennium Forum Box Office on +44 2871 264 455 or online at www.millenniumforum.co.uk.

For more information visit www.walledcitymusic.com.