Star Bristol violinist, John Pearce, and world class pianist, Motoki Hirai, give a recital at Saint Stephen’s on Friday at 7.30pm.
“This is an amazing opportunity for Bristol,” says Saint Stephen’s musical curator, David Mowat, jazz musician and Bristol Eco Show founder, as well as curator of Saint Stephen’s lunchtime concerts.
The recital features the music of Bach, Paganini, Chopin, Calderazzo, Beethoven and Schubert – as well as Homage to Chopin by Motoki Hirai.
John Pearce, violinist
Born in Bristol, John Pearce started learning the violin at the age of seven and has since given solo recitals in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Japan as well as at prestigious concert venues in London including the Royal Festival Hall, St. Martin in the Fields and St. John’s, Smith Square.
He has performed live as a soloist on BBC radio and television and has given world premieres of works by renowned composers such as Sir Richard Rodney Bennett. He regularly appears as a soloist with orchestras such as The Royal Court Players and is often called upon as a guest leader.
John has performed at numerous festivals including the Cheltenham Music Festival, the Cork Jazz Festival and the ‘Prussia Cove’ music seminars.
He premiered a work for solo violin at the Chelsea Flower Show, written by Motoki Hirai whose composition for two violins he also performed as part of a Japan arts project.
John also gave a series of concerts in Bordeaux, France, collaborating with guitarist James Forster and bass guitarist Richard Blake as part of a Bristol-Bordeaux cultural exchange, celebrating the UK’s longest city twinning partnership.
John had the honour of receiving an award from the former Parliamentary under Secretary of State for an outstanding contribution to music and was awarded a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music where he studied with György Pauk and Béla Katona.
Motoki Hirai
“A most brilliant and sensitive musical talent” says the Guardian.
Acclaimed as one of the most imaginative pianists of his generation, Motoki Hirai has appeared in the music capitals of Far East, America and Europe, performing regularly in London, including the Wigmore Hall, St. John’s, Smith Square and the South Bank Centre.
Highlights of the 2009/10 season and beyond include piano concerto with Czech Virtuosi at the Smetana Hall (Prague), solo recital at the Carnegie Hall (New York) as well as concert tours in Austria, Denmark, England, France, Holland, Lithuania, Romania, Spain and his native Japan.
Born in Tokyo into a highly gifted musical family, Motoki studied piano and composition with his grandfather, the eminent composer Kozaburo Y. Hirai. His father is the celebrated cellist Takeichiro Hirai, whom Pablo Casals designated as his successor.
As a composer, Motoki has been commissioned to write new works for international artists which were performed and premièred in the Wigmore Hall, South Bank Centre, Chelsea Flower Show 2007 & 2008, Chelsea Festival 2008, Dulwich Festival 2010, Smetana Hall (Prague), Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris, Auditori Pau Casals (Barcelona), Tokyo Opera City and NHK Hall (Tokyo). His music has also been used in the films ‘Voice’ (2004) and ‘The Emperor’s Tram Girls’ (2005).
As an artistic emissary of the Japanese government, Motoki has visited France, Portugal, Denmark, UK, Romania, Sri Lanka and Malaysia amongst others since 1994. He has been honoured with a number of awards, including the Sir Jack and Lady Lyons Performance Award. He has also been involved in fascinating educational programmes to promote Japanese art and culture across the world, such as the “Picture Books – Storytelling, Images and Music” project (2007- ), as artistic director as well as composer of the music.
Motoki has made a number of recordings on CD. His most recent release is of works for solo piano ‘Motoki Hirai Piano Works’ (2009), supported by Steinway &Sons, which received much critical acclaim.
Music programme
J.S.Bach: Sonata No.1 in G minor, BWV 1001 – Solo Violin
J.S.Bach: French Suite No.2 in C minor, BWV 813 – Solo Piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.18 in E flat, Op.31-3 – Solo Piano
Interval
J. Calderazzo: The Blossom of Parting – Solo Violin
Paganini: Caprice No.16 – Solo Violin
Paganini: Caprice No.20 – Solo Violin
Klenner: Just Friends – Solo Violin
Motoki Hirai: Hommage à Chopin – Solo Piano
Chopin: Polonaise in C sharp minor, Op.26-1 – Solo Piano
Chopin: Two Mazurkas in A minor & C major
Chopin: Prelude in F sharp, Op.28-13
Chopin: Scherzo No.3 in C sharp minor, Op.39
Schubert: Violin Sonata No.1 in D – Violin & Piano
Please turn up for free seating. £5 ticket on the door.
