Tuesdays Till Two - Lunchtime Concert: KramerDurcan Duo (Violin & Piano)

About

The Tuesdays Till Two summer season concludes with a duo concert featuring violin and piano duo KramerDurcan Duo, whose members are violinist Miriam Kramer and pianist Nicholas Durcan, who are both appearing at St John's for the first time.

As ever the church will be open for an hour before the concert begins, with volunteers from the pop-up café team offering lots of home made sweet and savoury treats as well as hot and cold drinks.

The concert will begin promptly at 1pm. Admission is free, but those who are able to afford it are asked to make a donation. The suggested amount is £5.

Programme:

Menagerie Fantastique (based on Carnival of the Animals ) - Saint-Saëns/KramerDurcan
Adagio from Concierto Aranjuez - Rodrigo
Libertango and Oblivion - Piazzolla
Allegro from Spring Sonata No.5 opus 24 - Beethoven
3 Songs - Gershwin
Danse Macabre - Saint-Saëns

About KramerDurcan Duo:

The KramerDurcan Duo's partnership began on a Eurostar train to London in 2004, when Miriam and Nicholas were each returning from separate performances in Paris. Since then, they've given over 500 performances together, broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, WQXR (USA) and recorded an acclaimed disc of music by Szymanowski on the Naxos label, described by the American Record Guide as 'a superlative recording'. Their performances have taken them to Hong Kong, USA, the Middle East, New Zealand and across Europe. They are based in London, where they have given recitals for the London Chamber Music Series and Rothschild's Classical Recital Series, and have performed at London's South Bank, Wigmore Hall, St. John's Smith Square, and Kings Place.

 

About Miriam Kramer:

Miriam Kramer began studying the violin at age four, giving her first public performance at the age of seven, with Mozart's Concerto in G Major.

Since then, her solo recitals and concerto performances have taken her round the world to such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center (USA) Wigmore Hall,Barbican Hall, St. Davids's, Queen Elizabeth Hall (UK), Vienna Konzerthaus, and Theatre Champs Élysées. Praised by Strad Magazine as a 'violinist of superior natural talent, an exceptionally sensitive interpreter and a phrase maker of uncommon expressivity' and by the NY Times as a 'soulful and virtuosic performer', Miriam has also received critical acclaim for her 6 CDs, including Editor's Choice for her recording of the violin music of Ernest Bloch, from Gramophone Magazine, which has said 'Kramer's playing could hardly be more heartfelt. Scanning the catalogue for rivals, her musicianship is irresistible.' This disc has been listed in the 2017 guide '1001 Classical Recordings You Must Hear Before You Die' compiled by Matthew Rye and Steven Isserlis. Miriam has also been included in David Milson’s book, A-Z of String Players, 300 Great String Players.

Alongside her performing and recording schedule, Miriam maintains a busy private teaching practice and is regularly invited to give master-classes at the Dartington Festival and for the Benslow Music Trust.She champions the music of new composers and her latest project, a recording of Elegy, by British composer Andrew Pearce,with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, has led to invitations from other composers in France and the USA to record and perform their music. Miriam has performed on Classic FM and Radio 3 and has appeared on BBC television in a tribute to Yehudi Menuhin and most recently in Victoria Wood's programme 'Nice Cup of Tea', filmed at Claridge's hotel. Future invitations include performances in Las Vegas, Cincinnati, New York, Monaco, and Israel.

 

About Nicholas Durcan:

Nicholas Durcan studied the piano with Hamish Milne and Angus Morrison and organ with Alan Harverson at the Royal Academy of Music, where he won many prizes including the highest performing award-the Recital Diploma. Upon graduating, he was immediately invited to be organist at Westminster Cathedral,and held this position for 2 years. In the following year,he made his concerto debut at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and has since performed concertos at the Royal Festival Hall, St.John`s Smith Square and given recitals at the Purcell Room, broadcast on Classic FM, BBC Radio 2,3 and 4 and appeared on several TV programmes.

He performs regularly in the USA and has given solo and chamber music recitals in Sweden, Germany, Holland, France, Spain, Italy, Malta, Switzerland and Hong Kong. Nicholas is also an acclaimed jazz pianist and appears regularly with London's top jazz musicians. In conjunction with a performing career he is also a composer and arranger and has written the music for the BBC series "A Painter's World" and the channel 4 film "The Daughters of De Beauvoir." He has released a number of recordings including the piano works of British composer Billy Mayerl and a CD for Naxos of the violin and piano works of Szymanowski with violinist Miriam Kramer,described by American Record Guide as 'flawless and beautiful' and that 'Durcan plays with 'warmth and affection' .The Observer -'undoubtedly the highlight of the evening was Nicholas Durcan's sparkling and virtuosic performance of Rhapsody in Blue.'