Concert details
04/10/2010 19:30
FRITH PIANO QUARTET
BENJAMIN FRITH, piano - ROBERT HEARD, violin - LOUISE WILLIAMS, viola - RICHARD JENKINSON, 'cello
Benjamin Frith enjoys a career playing in chamber music groups, as soloist with orchestras and as a piano recital soloist. "Prodigy of Prodigies" was how Ben was described by Dennis Matthews when, aged just 14, he won the British national Concerto Competition. His exciting and diverse repertoire ranges from Bach to Tippett and includes over 50 concertos. He has recorded all the John Field Piano Concertos and during 2002 numbers 5 & 6 reached the top of the Classical charts and since then has recorded all Field’s Nocturnes for solo piano. His disc of Schumann’s Davidsbundlertänze was the top recommendation on the Radio 3's Building a Library. Five of his discs are represented in the Gramophone – Best CD Guide and in response to his recording of the Diabelli Variations, Gramophone critic Richard Osborne wrote "he possesses a formidable talent both musically and technically." His enjoyment of chamber music has led to many collaborations with artists such as The Lindsays, Peter Hill, and the Sorrell and Vertava Quartets. In this concert he appears with his recently formed piano quartet and is proud to put his name to this quartet of spectacularly gifted players.
Robert Heard is co-leader of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and when he is not touring the world with the orchestra he takes every opportunity to indulge his love of chamber music.
Louise Williams is a free lance solo viola player and has played violin or viola with many well-known chamber groups.
Richard Jenkinson is also a lead player with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and plays solo ‘cello recitals, has a duo with Benjamin Frith and is cellist in the Pro Musica string quartet, which he founded in 1999.
Programme:
Mendelssohn: Piano Quartet in C minor
Mozart: Piano Quartet in G minor K 478
Brahms: Piano Quartet in A op 26
