By |

This new release of music by British composer Francis Pott, performed by Duncan Honeybourne, brings together piano works written between 1983 and 1997.

The title of the album, ‘A House of Ghosts’, reflects the character of the pieces: short works and miniatures which offer glimpses of places and voices that remain just out of reach, rather than an overall narrative. Pott’s music is elegant and restrained, reflecting on memory, landscape, and legend, occasional reference to medieval song (Minnelied, Blondel, Walsinghame), Chaucer (Pageant, with its distinctively ‘Medieval’ open fourth and fifth chords), T. S. Eliot (Revenant), and the abandoned community of St Kilda, a remote archipelago in Scotland (Farewell to Hirta). The mood of many of the pieces is wistful or nostalgic, with a timelessness which harks back to earlier times and musical styles: Pott’s influences include William Byrd, Gustav Mahler and Vaughan Williams, and one hears echoes of these composers, and others, in his harmonies, textures and long-spun melodies.

“A House of Ghosts is a sequence of a dozen short pieces concerned with the past, whether imagined, historical or (as in the case of the final piece) autobiographical. These movements are combined here with freestanding longer items, where sea music (Farewell to Hirta and Hunt’s Bay) is mixed with explorations of elusive memory (Le Temps qui n’est plus and Drowned Summer). Gently distinctive in its harmonic and tonal language, this music is the work of a professional pianist-composer with a refined and subtle insight into the physical and textural properties of the instrument.”

Duncan Honeybourne, pianist

I had the pleasure of page-turning for a performance by Duncan Honeybourne of several of the pieces featured on this album. This not only introduced me to Pott’s compelling soundworld but also offered a glimpse of his writing style. ‘A House of Ghosts’ is music written for the intimacy of the home, with the amateur pianist very much in mind. This is music that will appeal to the sophisticated amateur pianist who enjoys contemporary music that is melodic, structured and expressive, yet not overly-challenging. The music is highly pianistic (the composer is a pianist himself), approachable yet thought-provoking, consonant…. They may appear simple, but there is much scope for sensitivity in voicing, dynamics and pedalling to bring these finely-crafted pieces to life.

Duncan Honeybourne brings clarity, gracefulness and emotion to this elegant, atmospheric music, responding with much musical thought and sensitivity to its subtly-shifting colours and moods to create an album that is wholly enjoyable and deeply absorbing.

A House of Ghosts is released on digital streaming and download

Scores of Francis Pott’s music are available from Composers Edition

Francis Pott, composer
Duncan Honeybourne, pianist

By |

Hastings International Piano is thrilled to announce the 40 pianists who have been selected to take part in the 2026 Hastings International Piano Competition, which takes place from 26 February to 7 March 2026 at the White Rock Theatre, Hastings.

Chosen by an experienced pre-selection jury, who watched video auditions of 356
applicants from 46 countries, these 40 pianists – aged between 19 and 29 – will travel from 18 nations to compete in one of the world’s leading competitions for rising stars. This year marks the 18th competition since its revival in 2005, continuing a proud tradition that began over a century ago with the Hastings Musical Festival.

Under the artistic direction of Professor Vanessa Latarche since 2020, the competition is a highlight in the international music calendar. Renowned for its unique format , requiring competitors to perform concertos from the very first round; it offers a platform for young artists to perform with orchestras including the Sinfonia Smith Square and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The 2026 competitors represent a remarkable breadth of talent, with participants from countries including China, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan, the USA, Ukraine, Japan, and beyond. Full list here


● Competition rounds will run as follows:
➔ Round 1: 26–28 February – 40 competitors perform extracts from two concertos
➔ Round 2: 1–2 March – 20 competitors perform a solo recital including a new work
by Sir Stephen Hough
➔ Semi-Finals: 4–5 March – 10 competitors perform a classical concerto with
Sinfonia Smith Square
➔ Finals: 6–7 March – 5 finalists perform a Romantic or 20th-century concerto with
the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

All five competitors who reach the final will receive a prize, with first prize worth
approximately £35,000.

Tickets for the first two rounds are free, and the public is encouraged to attend and
experience world-class music in a seafront theatre.

Through its Learning & Participation programme, Hastings International Piano remains committed to bringing classical music to all – from school workshops and community concerts to pop-up pianos across the town – ensuring that the joy of music continues to inspire every generation.

The competition is generously supported by Steinway & Sons and numerous sponsors and benefactors, including the Kowitz Family Foundation, which has supported the competition since 2009.

Vanessa Latarche, Artistic Director, says: ‘We are thrilled to announce forty remarkable young pianists coming to Hastings in 2026. The standard of applications this year was exceptionally high, reflecting the competition’s growing stature. It’s no easy task picking from over 350 applications, but it is inspiring to see so many gifted musicians from around the world share their artistry and passion for piano performance. We look forward to hearing them bring their music to life on the White Rock Theatre stage.’

Find out more here

[Source: press release]

By |

Kapustin: Between the Lines

Ophelia Gordon, piano

Nikolai Kapustin (1937–2020) occupies a distinctive place in 20th- and 21st-century music. A classically trained pianist and composer, Kapustin cleverly fused the formal, structural rigour of classical music with the rhythmic vitality and improvisational idioms of jazz. His works defy easy categorisation: though they sound spontaneously jazzy, they are entirely notated in classical form, leaving no space for actual improvisation. This paradox became the hallmark of his style.

Born in Horlivka, Ukraine, Kapustin studied piano at the Moscow Conservatory, under Alexander Goldenweiser, at a time when jazz was still viewed with suspicion by Soviet authorities. Kapustin’s fascination with American jazz pianists like Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson and Erroll Garner led him to explore the genre secretly and he absorbed its harmonic language, rhythmic energy, and phrasing to create his own compositional language. His music is vibrant, cerebral, witty, exuberant and alive.

Nikolai Kapustin
Ophelia Gordon

British pianist Ophelia Gordon makes a striking recording debut with this album of works by Nikolai Kapustin, drawn to his music as it reflects her own background (she grew up in a household full of music, both jazz and classical), her musical versatility and her desire to challenge the barriers between different genres of music.

Ophelia says, “I dream of a world where classical and jazz musicians can perform side by side, with no gatekeeping or barriers. Kapustin’s music makes that dream feel possible. It sits beautifully in the space between genres. It speaks directly to jazz musicians through its harmony and rhythm, and to classical musicians through its texture and form.”

This album is a celebration of the space “between the lines” where Kapustin’s music sits. In preparation for the recording, Ophelia tracked down many long out-of-print vinyl recordings of the composer’s own performances to find the essence of Kapustin’s voice. The recording is also a milestone in that it’s the first full release of Kapustin’s music by a female British pianist.

The album opens with Big Band Sounds, Op. 46 (1986), a piece rich in swing and the textures and timbres of Big Band jazz. Ophelia sashays through it with panache, making a bold opening statement for the rest of her debut album.

Selections from the 24 Preludes follow. Based on Chopin’s model, most of the Preludes presented here are upbeat and foot-tapping, but No. 5 in D Major is more wistful, with hints of Bill Evans. Contemplation follows, a gentle, introspective piece which conjures up a late-night smoky jazz club. Ophelia gives this a wonderful spaciousness, so much so that it sounds improvised there and then.

The Paraphrase on “Aquarela do Brasil” is Kapustin’s take the famous Brazilian standard “Brazil,” composed by Ary Barroso in 1939. Ophelia played along with a samba beat “to lock into the groove” and the piece has a joyful, pacey mood, rich in colour and textures, with occasional moments of almost Lisztian bravura.

The eight Concert Etudes are probably Kapustin’s most well-known pieces and each has a distinct character – punchy, impressionistic, groovy, funky, the Etudes reflect the influences of jazz greats such as Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, Bill Evans, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. Ophelia really revels in this music, switching effortlessly between the different characters of each Etude – from the shimmering sixths (perhaps drawn from Chopin?) to the driving energy of Toccatina. There are sonorous bass sounds and hints of Rachmaninov in some of the chords, reminding us of Kapustin’s heritage. Performed here as the complete set, the Etudes are witty, poetic, fierce, relentless, and often beautiful too.

To close, the Paraphrase on Dizzy Gillespie’s “Manteca” for Two Pianos. With its nod to the virtuosic paraphrases of Franz Liszt, with its dramatic flourishes and sparkling fioriture, the piece has a wonderful vibrant energy. Unable to find another pianist with whom to record the piece, Ophelia learnt both parts herself:

“The process was lengthy and difficult but incredibly rewarding. I split the parts into “rhythm” and “melody.” Though both switch roles, it was essential to record the rhythm part first, then play the solo part alongside it. I now perform this live with the rhythm coming through a PA system!”

Recorded on a characterful 1961 Steinway, the piano sound is rich and warm, colourful and immediate, and engineered with a microphone setup designed to balance the immediacy of a jazz trio with the depth and clarity of the classical solo piano. Ophelia plays with a natural virtuosity which never feels contrived nor forced, completely at home with Kapustin’s rhythmic vitality, and myriad harmonies and textures. She clearly loves this music because, as she herself says in the notes, it allows her to “be all of myself at the piano”.

With detailed notes by Ophelia Gordon herself, lending a more personal take on traditional liner notes, this is an impressive debut recording that leaves one wanting to hear more from this bold and authentic artist.

Kapustin: Between the Lines is released on 14 November on the Divine Art label (CD and streaming).

(Artist image: Ben Cillard)

By |

For his autumn concert tour, which begins on Sunday 9 November, British pianist James Lisney places Beethoven’s late sonatas at the centre of this rich programme of masterpieces, not the least of which is the ricercar that Bach performed for Frederick the Great in Potsdam in 1747. “Old Bach of Leipzig” improvised on the King’s theme while using a newly developed fortepiano; the finished composition can thus lay claim to be the first major piano work.

The preludes by Chopin and Shostakovich are similarly written out versions of improvisatory pieces, whilst Myra Hess’ beloved chorale prelude, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”, is a reminder of her close association with Beethoven’s final triptych of piano sonatas, and is included in this programme to honour the anniversary of her death on 25th November 1965.

James Lisney says, ‘I have returned to Beethoven’s late sonatas on many occasions over the past forty years. Each study period is a time of intense contentment that reveals new insights, greater pianistic authority, and a reflection of personal growth in terms of musical and extra-musical experience. The great Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau stated that passion deepens with age, and Beethoven’s late works are certainly ‘appassionato’, communicating ideas that stretch human experience.

There is a lifetime in this music, an inexhaustible well of ideas that defeat our perceptions of time during performance. I have long wanted to add preludes to this music, easing the listener into a new universe and refreshing the palate. The death of Shostakovich fifty years ago provided inspiration; Dame Myra Hess (d. November 1965), a peerless interpreter of these sonatas and the music of Bach, provided further items for the programme, not least her enduring transcription of the chorale prelude ‘Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring’.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Ricercar à 3 is a further example of a composition that represents a preludial improvisation, one executed by a master of the increasingly archaic art of counterpoint who was not above adding galant flourishes to a theme provided by Frederick II of Prussia. An example of an artist “speaking truth to power?”’

Myra Hess
James Lisney

CONCERT DATES & VENUES

9 November, Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

18 November, St George’s Bristol

21 November 1901 Arts Club, London

22 November, The Red Hedgehog, London

28 November, The Quay Theatre, Sudbury, Suffolk

4 December, The Stoller Hall, Manchester

5 December, Stamford Arts Centre, Stamford, Lincolnshire

7 December, The Red Hedgehog, London

Find out more