Fairlight Hall has a full weekend of concerts, masterclasses and talks from Friday to Sunday July 4-6. Hastings International Piano (HIP) presents four extraordinary young pianists: Curtis Phill Hsu and Harmony Zhu (winners of first and second prizes of the 2024 Hastings International Piano Competition), Mariamna Sherling (winner of 3rd prize in 2022) and the Lithuanian pianist Gabrielė Sukutė. The hall’s gardens will also be open at the weekend.
The weekend opens on Friday evening with an informal evening concert by Curtis Phill Hsu and Gabrielė Sukutė. The programme will include music by Debussy, Rachmaninov and the Lithuanian composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis performed by Gabrielė, and then Mussorgsky’s monumental and fiendishly difficult Pictures at an Exhibition (performed by Curtis). The audience will be seated cabaret-style and a free glass of Pimm’s is included in the ticket price.
On Saturday, there’s a chance to understand better how concert pianists prepare for performances, with an invitation to watch all four pianists take part in open masterclasses with two of the UK’s leading professors of piano: Aaron Shorr of the Royal Scottish Conservatoire, and HIP’s artistic director Professor Vanessa Latarche.
On Sunday morning there’s an opportunity to find out more about how pianos are prepared for performance with an illustrated talk by Julian Dendy, one of the chief technicians at the world’s leading piano manufacturer, Steinway & Sons, who play a key role in supporting Hastings International Piano. Julian will show us how keys are balanced and hammers adjusted – and what difference this preparation makes to the pianist and the listener.
Finally on Sunday afternoon, all four pianists will give a short programme, offering a tantalising glimpse of their skill and musicianship, followed by an opportunity to get to know all of them with a brief Q&A. The programme will include music by Chopin (Harmony Zhu and Mariamna Sherling), Rameau (Gabrielė Sukutė), Ravel (Mariamna Sherling and Gabrielė Sukutė), Grandos and Debussy (Curtis Phill Hsu).
The gardens will be open all weekend, and visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic and explore the grounds at leisure. You can also book for a for a sit-down buffet lunch on the terrace before the concert on Sunday.
Tickets can be booked via Eventbrite here.
Friday concert – £25 + booking fee
Saturday open masterclasses – free but booking essential
Sunday Steinway talk – free but booking essential
Sunday concert – £35 + booking fee
18s and under accompanied by a paying adult – free (but booking essential)
Buffet lunch – £55
Limited cover of the audience seating area will be provided in the event of bad weather.
Find out more – www.hastingsinternationalpiano.org
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instagram.com/hastingsinternationalpiano
Image Credits: Fairlight Hall .