It is a rare occurrence for me to slide a CD into my player and fall immediately under the spell of haunting, hypnotic music I had never heard before. But “Anima Mea” (La Musica LMU 094), performed by the Pascal Trio and the young counter-tenor Paul Figuier, did just that. I replay the full 72 minutes almost every day and have not yet tired of it.
Denis Pascal, pianist in his family trio and a leading promoter of the CD project, tells me this music “creates a space in which one can get a glimpse of another world.”
The recording marks a few important firsts. Composers Bruno Coulais and Jean-Philippe Goude created their contributions expressly for this disc, and thus can claim World First recordings. In addition, the Goude version of Gerard Leane’s Salve Regina is reworked for this recording.
Taken together, the spiritual and sacred themes, beautifully vocalized by Figuier, leave the listener transported into a poetic melancholy mood suddenly shifting to a brisk and lively piece by Arvo Pärt.
The over-all style is a unique form of minimalism. The sustained repetition is evident in the most surprising selection, “My Heart’s in the Highlands” based on the words borrowed from Scottish national poet’s work of the same name and set to the haunting music of Pärt.
Figuier renders the score in English, in a powerful but controlled high-pitched voice – long passages on a single note, backed up by the Pascal brothers and their father. The heartfelt strings and piano interpretation would leave a modern Scot an emotional wreck.
Denis Pascal has been close to Figuier since the beginning of the singer’s career. Now Pascal calls his counter-tenor performance “magnificent”, a voice with “very great expressivity”. Figuier’s growing reputation places him alongside such counter-tenors as Philippe Jarousky, Alex Luna and Andreas Scholl.
The trio comprises a rare family gathering of accomplished musicians. Pianist Denis Pascal and his two sons – violinist Alexandre and cellist Aurélien – form a unique ensemble bonded by years of common musicianship from childhood onward.
The title of the CD, “Anima Mea” (“My Soul” in English), was chosen to evoke spirituality, religious or not, evanescence, invisibility and the meaning of Salve Regina – thee traditional Magnificat in praise of the Virgin Mary, love and devotion.
An exceptionally thoughtful booklet accompanies the CD including biographies of players and composers, analysis by Yutha Tep, and the full texts in Latin, French and English.
As one French critic put it, “For anyone who loves meditative music chiseled in crystal, ‘Anima Mea’ is a stop not to be missed.”
Paul Figuier, counter-tenorTrio Pascal
MICHAEL JOHNSONis a music critic and writer with a particular interest in piano. He has worked as a reporter and editor in New York, Moscow, Paris and London over his journalism career. He covered European technology for Business Week for five years, and served nine years as chief editor of International Management magazine and was chief editor of the French technology weekly 01 Informatique. He also spent four years as Moscow correspondent of The Associated Press. He is a regular contributor to International Piano magazine, and is the author of five books.Michael Johnson is based in Bordeaux, France. Besides English and French he is also fluent in Russian. In 2024, he co-published with Frances Wilson ‘Lifting the Lid: Interviews with Concert Pianists’
The tenth London Piano Festival takes place between9 and 12 October 2025 at Kings Place, London
Three world premieres written to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Festival by composers Cheryl Frances-Hoad,Stephen Hough and Elena Langer
The central Gala, featuring co-founders Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva with Stephen Hough, Ingrid Fliter, Ronan O’Hora, Seta Tanyel, Mishka Rushdie Momen, and Joseph Havlat performing four-, six- and eight-handed works
Solo recitals by Ingrid Fliter, Mishka Rushdie Momen, and festival co-founders Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva
A family concert narrated by Michael Morpurgo and featuring Keelan Carew, James Kreiling and Janneke Brits
A masterclass led by Stephen Hough
A showcase of star pianists from the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy
Pre- and post-concert discussions led by Ella Lee, presenter of the Classical Circuit podcast
Pianists and co-Artistic Directors Katya Apekisheva and Charles Owen reveal another dynamic lineup for the tenth-anniversary edition of the London Piano Festival (LPF) which returns to Kings Place from 9-12 October 2025. Four days of classical and jazz piano performances will include three world premieres by internationally renowned composers, each commissioned especially for this year’s Festival. The programme sees Ronan O’Hora, and Julian Joseph returning to perform at the Festival, and Stephen Hough, Ingrid Fliter, Keelan Carew, Zoe Rahman, Joseph Havlat, Mishka Rushdie Momen and more making their Festival debuts.
Under 30s tickets are available for all concerts at a reduced price of £10. The Festival is delighted to be working with International Piano magazine as its media partner for the tenth year running.
Co-Artistic Directors Katya Apekisheva and Charles Owen commented, “It is our great pleasure to be announcing the programme for the 10th London Piano Festival alongside the world premiere of three new commissions by Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Stephen Hough and Elena Langer. When we first dreamt up the idea of starting a piano festival over a decade ago, we hoped to fill a gap in London’s musical offering by creating a festival devoted exclusively to the piano. Ten years on, having presented nine Festivals featuring over 45 exceptional jazz and classical pianists, we are immensely grateful to continue offering world-class piano performances at our Festival home – Kings Place.”
Sam McShane, Artistic Director of Kings Place, commented: “London Piano Festival is back with an epic programme to mark its 10th anniversary year. This year’s theme, ‘Maturity & Youth’, beautifully reflects the festival’s journey—celebrating a decade of artistic excellence while championing the future of piano music. From world premieres to classics, this programme embodies the spirit of sharing, friendship and collaboration that defines Kings Place.”
The Festival opens with a joint recital from Katya Apekisheva and Charles Owen, featuring two world premieres. Katya Apekisheva will perform Seasons by Elena Langer, inspired by Philip Larkin’s poetry and commissioned as a companion piece to Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons. Charles Owen performs Stones of the Sky, a new composition by Cheryl Frances-Hoad inspired by gemstones found in the Austrian Alps and the Gem Poems by Pablo Neruda, and conceived as a complimentary piece to Schumann’s Carnaval. The event will be preceded by a pre-concert talk with the composers, led by Ella Lee, presenter of the Classical Circuit podcast [9 October].
Argentinian pianist Ingrid Fliter makes her LPF debut with a solo recital including Beethoven’s Sonata in E Flat and Sonata in D Major, and Chopin’s Nocturne in B Major and Sonata No. 3 in B minor. Ella Lee will lead a discussion with Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva beforehand, exploring the artists featured across the rest of the program and reflecting on the Festival’s decade-long legacy [10 October].
On Saturday, the Festival hosts a family concert, featuring a world premiere arrangement of Stravinsky’s The Firebird for two pianos, arranged and performed by James Kreiling and Janneke Brits, alongside Keelan Carew performing Poulenc’s Barbar the Elephant, with celebrated children’s author Michael Morpurgo as narrator. World-renowned pianist Stephen Hough will later present a piano clinic masterclass with pianists from the London conservatoires and beyond, closing with a Q&A led by pianist and broadcaster Keelan Carew [11 October].
The Saturday concludes with the Festival’s central event, the Two-Piano Gala, this year featuring no less than eight performers – Stephen Hough, Ingrid Fliter, Ronan O’Hora, Seta Tanyel, Mishka Rushdie Momen, and Joseph Havlat, in addition to Charles and Katya themselves. This year’s programme will include a world premiere composition by Stephen Hough, King’s Cross March, commissioned by the Festival and performed by Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva. Joseph Havlat, Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva will perform the UK premiere of Havlat’s own composition 64 Geese. Stephen Hough also joins Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva for a rendition of Rachmaninov’s Romance for Six Hands, and Ingrid Fliter, Joseph Havlat, Mishka Rushdie Momen and Ronan O’Hora perform Smetana’s Sonata for Two Pianos, (Eight Hands). Other featured composers include Mozart, Brahms, Shostakovich, Britten, Babajanian, Ravel and more [11 October].
The Sunday begins with a morning recital from Mishka Rushdie Momen, centred around her acclaimed album Reformation, exploring the rich sound world of Renaissance repertoire. This recital will include pieces by Byrd, Gibbons, Bull, Sweenlinck and more, and will conclude with a post-performance Q&A with Ella Lee [12 October].
BBC Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg intersperses stories of his life in Russia with piano improvisations at an event hosted by BBC Radio 3 presenter Petroc Trelawny. Running in parallel with this conversation will be a special focus on the historical and political significance of Dmitri Shostakovich, including a selection of his Preludes and Fugues performed by Berniya Hamie and Jeremy Chan, making their Festival debuts [12 October].
Julian Joseph returns to LPF with Zoe Rahman (in her Festival debut),bringing the 2025 Festival to a close with a recital of outstanding young pianists from the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy, including Danny Piers, Emile Hinton, Emily Tran and Nnamdi Nnachi Cole, all performing at LPF for the first time [12 October].
The London Piano Festival was founded by pianists Katya Apekisheva and Charles Owen in 2016 and takes place every October at Kings Place, London. Previous visiting artists have included Alfred Brendel, Alexandra Dariescu, Julian Joseph, Gabriela Montero, Stephen Kovacevich, Jason Rebello, Vadym Kholodenko, Leszek Możdżer, Lara Melda, Reinis Zariņš and Kathryn Stott, amongst many others. The Festival has also commissioned several new works for two pianos, working with composers including Sally Beamish, Jonathan Dove, Elena Langer and Nico Muhly.
Last week I went up to Hertford, the attractive county town of Hertfordshire, to attend an inaugural concert and reception, ahead of this year’s Hertfordshire Festival of Music (HFoM) which runs from 7 to 14 June.
I have been involved in the Festival since its founding by conductor Tom Hammond (who tragically died in 2021) and composer James Francis Brown, initially in an ad hoc way by sharing details of the festival here and on my social networks, and since 2020 as the Festival’s publicist.
Now in its ninth year, the festival has grown from a weekend to a full week of concerts and related events/activities. The ethos and aims of the festival have remained largely the same – presenting world class classical music and musicians in the heart of Hertfordshire alongside education and outreach projects within the local community – and each year sees a different Principal Artist (Emma Johnson, Ben Goldscheider, Steven Isserlis and Stephen Hough to name a few) and Featured Living Composer (e.g. Judith Weir, CBE, David Matthews), as well as musicians who live and/or come from Hertfordshire (flautist Emma Halnan, pianist Florian Mitrea). The concert programmes are varied and imaginative, and the range of artists is impressive. Previous performers/ensembles have included ZRI, the Rosetti Ensemble, pianists Katya Apekisheva and Charles Owen, violinists Litsa Tunnah, Mathilde Milwidsky and Chloe Hanslip, cellist Guy Johnson, and guitarist Jack Hancher.
Potential audiences (and reviewers) who live in London are often reluctant to journey too far out of the metropolis to experience live music (it was via an online discussion about this issue that I first met Tom Hammond, back in 2015), yet the ease with which one can travel to Hertfordshire was quite evident when, after having lunch with my father near Kings Cross, I took the Circle Line a few stops to Moorgate and thence a train to Hertford North station (Hertford has 2 railway stations; trains from Hertford East go to Liverpool Street). The journey was less than an hour, comfortable and pleasant, and my hotel was an easy 10-minute stroll from the station to the attractive historic centre of town. Hertford is also easily accessible by road, again less than an hour’s drive from London.
HFoM concerts take place in the town’s two main churches, St Andrew’s and All Saints, both of which are within walking distance of the town centre. Other events take place at the Hertford Quaker Meeting House (the oldest meeting house built by Friends that has remained in unbroken use since 1670), and other local venues.
If you were to make a mini break or weekend visit to Hertford, or even just a day trip, you’ll find the town has a good range of independent shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs. Ahead of the evening event, I enjoyed a stroll around the town in unexpectedly mild sunshine.
This year’s festival runs from 7 to 14 June. I can’t reveal the full programme yet but I can tell you that this year’s Festival theme, ‘Shadows to Light: Musical Journeys in Conflicts and Peace’, which celebrates the universal language of music through times of adversity and peace, and touches on the 80th anniversary of VE Day alongside contemporary global conflicts. From young musicians to established international artists, jazz music, the Hertford Community Concert Band, and even a special Festival Church Service, this year’s Festival offers something for everyone and features over 30 events across music and outreach activities, of which 50% are free, with concessions applied to ticketed events.
You can enjoy early access to Festival news by signing up to the HFoM newsletter or by following the festival on social media.
Hertfordshire Festival of Music is built on the involvement, support and encouragement of Hertford and the county’s communities who help build a thriving and rich Festival for the communities HFoM wishes to serve.
The Hertford hart Artistic Director/pianist James Francis Brown & volist Sarah-Jane Bradley
Two hours of piano music, accompanied by GenAI art projection and a smattering of poetry. Performers: Elena Toponogova, Ophelia Gordon, Howard Smith and Matthew Baker Music by Frank Bridge, Nikolai Medtner, Erik Satie, Francis Poulenc, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel & Nikolai Kapustin.
What’s behind our forthcoming event Personal Passions? Two years ago I had completed study of several works by Erik Satie, specifically, the Gnossiennes, the Gymnopedies and the Ogives. I had also ‘composed’ a series of short sequences to sit between the pieces. Each of these rests on the tritone from the preceding key and acts to ‘reset the ear’ prior to the following piece. This helps clarify the transition. I felt this was necessary because the beguiling pieces are similar in character. I call each of these brief improvisations an ‘hiatus’. The concept was performed in fragments at various piano meetup groups. On April 5th this year, at October Gallery, I shall perform the full sequence and will be joined by Elena Toponogova, Ophelia Gordon and Matt Baker – three wonderful pianists and friends. We shall each play for around 30 minutes.
Elena Toponogova will play ‘Forgotten Melodies’ by Frank Bridge and Nikolai Medtner.
Matthew Baker will surround us with ‘Impressionism’, playing the music of Francis Poulenc, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.
Ophelia Gordon will introduce her forthcoming CD: KAPUSTIN – Between The Lines, to be released on the Divine Arts label later this year. Ophelia will play 30 minutes of the CD.
To add to the event, and based on my experience in the IT industry with GenAI (Generative Artificial Intelligence), we will be projecting sequences of images to support each of the four segments of the concert. Each has been themed around our ‘Passions’. The October Gallery space is ideal for this with its projection system and lighting.
We look forward to welcoming you to this unique venue. If successful, we hope the 4×4 format will be liked and can be repeated for other artists – both professionals and advanced amateurs from active piano circles in and around London, over the coming years. No promises but watch this space!
Event details:
Saturday 5th April 2025 at October Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester St, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 3AL
Doors 7pm, Performances 7:30 until 10pm, 20 minute interval
‘Serious, deep and rarely-performed pieces played with understanding and verve’
‘Poetic playing which draws the audience into her sound world’
‘Her captivating performance motivated me to aspire to her level. Having been a keen pianist myself in the past, I felt inspired to dive in and play the instrument again’
Programme
Satie, Erik – Gnossiennes: nos. 1 – 3 Satie, Erik – Ogive no. 1 Satie, Erik – Gymnopédies: nos. 1 – 3
Bridge, Frank – 3 Sketches, H.68 Medtner, Nikolay – Fairy Tale, Op.26 no.3
– Interval –
Poulenc, Francis – 3 Novelettes, FP 47/173 Poulenc, Francis – 8 Nocturnes, FP 56 Debussy, Claude – Ballade Debussy, Claude – Suite Bergamasque: III, Clair de lune Ravel, Maurice – Sonatine
Kapustin, Nikolai – programme to include the Concert Etudes, Op.40
Founded in 1979, October Gallery is a charitable trust which is supported by rental of the Gallery’s unique facilities, grants from various funding bodies and the active support of dedicated artists, musicians, writers and many friends from around the world. The Gallery promotes contemporary art from around the planet, as well as maintaining a cultural hub in central London for poets, artists, intellectuals, and hosts talks, performances and seminars.
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