Alistar Jones tells us about a beautiful space to enjoy beautiful music at South Hill Park with the Conservatoire International Concerts Series
Have you ever visited South Hill Park, our local centre for performing and creative arts? It is a wonderful, thriving centre offering so much to Bracknell’s community – shows, plays, comedy, an annual panto, Bracknell Jazz, a cinema and music of all kinds.
In the midst of all these activities, in the house’s Old Library, now called The Recital Room, there is a Steinway concert grand piano. This is the home of the Conservatoire International Concerts Series. It sounds very grand, but it is simply a beautiful performance space for the centre’s classical concerts.
About to enter its 12th season, these concerts were set up 11 years ago to offer a venue, audience and concert opportunity to the talented young musicians graduating from the UK’s international conservatories.
“Talented” hardly describes the young musicians who have, over the years, entertained audiences with their music and skills. Eleven years ago, the first audience was tiny to hear Ji Liu, a Chinese pianist from the Royal Academy, give the first recital. Since that first concert, audiences have grown, and we have heard almost 100 stunning young performers.
The musicians come recommended by their professors as the leading pianists in their class at the conservatoire. The professors send me a name and I can hear them on YouTube, by way of audition. I have never turned down anyone down. I offer them a concert date and ask for a publicity photo and a programme that should last 2 x 40 minutes. The choice of music is entirely up to them and as a result, we get seriously thrilling concerts that show off music by the great composers, played by enthusiastic and technically brilliant young pianists. In addition to pianists, we have had duos with violin, cello, clarinet and singers. Never a dull moment.
Our 12th season begins on September 27th with an internationally renowned violin and piano duo playing Beethoven, Sir Malcolm Arnold and Elgar. Book tickets at Conservatoire: Foyle-Stsura – South Hill Park Arts Centre. This is the first in a list of 15 concerts that includes annual visits from the UK’s leading music school, The Purcell School, and for the second time, young musicians from Wellington College in Crowthorne.
In the middle of all this is, and most exciting, an orchestral concert in the Wilde Theatre on Sunday, 13th October. The programme includes Beethoven’s Emperor Piano Concerto with pianist Amit Yahav, some orchestral songs by Alistair Jones and Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony. You should definitely not miss this one! Tickets at Orchestral Chamber Concert – South Hill Park Arts Centre
