Singapore International Piano Festival Announces Details Of 2020 Programme

• Nelson Goerner, Mei Yi Foo, Leon McCawley and Christian Zacharias to perform
• All four pianists make their festival debuts; Christian Zacharias and Leon McCawley make their Singapore debuts
• Programme highlights include Beethoven’s 'Les Adieux' Sonata and Eroica Variations, in the composer’s 250th anniversary year.
• Masterclasses announced with Mei Yi Foo and Leon McCawley

The 27th edition of the annual Singapore International Piano Festival takes place 4-7 June this year with a stellar line-up of pianists, all of whom are appearing at the festival for the first time.

Over four nights from 4 June, Nelson Goerner, Mei Yi Foo, Leon McCawley and Christian Zacharias each perform a solo recital in the historic Victoria Concert Hall, one of the oldest buildings in Singapore. Tickets sales begin on Friday 6 March at 10am.

This year’s festival has a broad scope, encompassing music by Beethoven – in the composer’s 250th anniversary year – as well as works by Haydn, Grieg, Messiaen, Bartók and Unsuk Chin.

Two of this year’s pianists – Mei Yi Foo and Leon McCawley – will also lead masterclasses during the festival.

Lim Yan, the Artistic Director of the Singapore International Piano Festival, said:

“The 27th edition of the Singapore International Piano Festival promises to be a thrilling exploration of the history and colours of the instrument. I’m delighted to welcome four of today’s top pianists to Singapore – two of whom will be making their debuts in the country – presenting varied and wide-ranging programmes with music spanning the 18th century to the present day. We also celebrate Beethoven’s 250th anniversary year, with works including his ‘Les Adieux’ Sonata and Eroica Variations.”

Nelson Goerner is one of today’s greatest classical pianists. He has performed with many of today’s major orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Hallé Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia and NHK Symphony Orchestra, and with several of today’s leading conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Philippe Herreweghe, Neeme Järvi, Sir Mark Elder, Paavo Järvi, Vassily Sinaisky, Jonathan Nott, Fabio Luisi and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Winner of the 2013 BBC Music Magazine’s Best Newcomer award, Malaysian pianist Mei Yi Foo is recognised internationally as an innovative pianist with a diverse and eclectic repertoire. A prolific concert soloist, Mei Yi has appeared with the English Chamber Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Iceland Symphony, London Chamber Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Remix Ensemble and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, garnering rave reviews from The Times, The Independent, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, SRF broadcast, The Guardian and Klassik magazine.

One of Britain’s foremost pianists, Leon McCawley has forged a highly successful career since winning first prize in the 1993 International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna and second prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition the same year. Since then, his concert performances and extensive discography have established him as a pianist of great integrity and variety, bringing freshness and vitality to Classical, Romantic and 20th-Century repertoire.

Christian Zacharias has established himself not only as a world-class pianist and conductor, but also as a musical thinker. Numerous acclaimed concerts with the world's best orchestras and outstanding conductors as well as multiple honors and recordings characterize his international career. He holds the position of Principal Guest Conductor with the Orquesta y Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid and works with ensembles including the English Chamber Orchestra, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He performs in international music centres in Paris, Lyon, Moscow and the much-acclaimed Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.

www.sso.org.sg/