Leading International Pianists Feature in Festival in April

Leading International Pianists Feature in Festival in April

Four internationally acclaimed pianists from New Zealand, Germany, Hungary and Russia feature in the New Zealand International Piano Festival in Auckland this month.

The Festival now in its ninth year, runs from Friday 19 April with six concerts spanning seven days.

The Festival includes three concerts by New Zealand’s leading concert pianist Michael Houstoun in Beethoven reCYCLE Part One, presented in partnership with Chamber Music New Zealand.

Alongside Michael Houstoun, the festival features German pianist Konstanze Eickhorst, Hungary’s Dénes Várjon and Russian prodigy Ilya Rashkovskiy.

Konstanze began playing piano as a five-year-old and by the age of 11, she was a pupil at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hanover. Winning first prizes at the ‘Clara Haskil’ and ‘Geza Anda’ international competitions served as a springboard for a successful career leading to engagements as a soloist with renowned orchestras and at illustrious festivals.

At the New Zealand International Piano Festival, Konstanze will perform a programme of Mozart and Schubert.

Dénes Várjon enjoys an illustrious international career as a soloist, chamber musician, recital partner and educator. He regularly performs at prestigious international festivals and is deeply committed to chamber music, partnering with a number of well-known musicians including Steven Isserlis, András Schiff and the Takács Quartet. Dénes’ programme at the New Zealand International Piano Festival combines Haydn, Jánaček, Bartók and Schumann.

Studying piano from the age of five, composing at six and playing with a full orchestra from eight, Ilya Rashkovskiy (28) is considered a prodigy. He won the Vladimir Krainev International Pianists Competition as a 14-year-old and has since won and been highly placed in other prestigious competitions in Europe and Asia. He studies in Paris and has toured Europe, Japan and Russia and recorded on the Naxos label. In Auckland, he will perform Bach, Prokofiev and Chopin.

The New Zealand International Piano Festival was created in 2005 by internationally acclaimed concert pianist and Steinway artist Tamas Vesmas. His vision was to present a Piano Festival that would expose audiences to some of the world’s top concert pianists. As well as the concert series, the artists also conduct masterclasses for young New Zealand pianists.

The New Zealand International Piano Festival is proudly brought to you by Lewis Eady Ltd and the Lewis Eady Charitable Trust.

The New Zealand International Piano Festival programme:

Friday 19 April: Michael Houstoun – Beethoven reCYCLE Part One ‘Waldstein’

Saturday 20 April: Michael Houstoun – Beethoven reCYCLE Part One ‘Tempest’

Sunday 21 April: Konstanze Eickhorst

Monday 22 April: Michael Houstoun – Beethoven reCYCLE Part One ‘Hammerklavier’

Wednesday 24 April: Dénes Várjon

Thursday 25 April: Ilya Rashkovskiy

Tickets for The New Zealand International Piano Festival concerts at the Auckland Town Hall from April 19-25 are available by phoning 0800 BUY TICKETS (289 842) or online at www.buytickets.co.nz and for more information, visit www.lect.co.nz

ENDS

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