11.30 Saturday Concert: Fumi Otsuki, violin & Alessandro Viale, piano

Otsuki and Viale
Fumi Otsuki - Violinist
Alessandro Viale
Saturday 10th February 2018

We are delighted to welcome for a Saturday morning concert the wonderful violinist Fumi Otsuki accompanied by pianist Alessandro Viale .

Fumi Otsuki was born in Sendai, Japan, and studied the violin with Gerhard Bosse and Masayoshi Kumai there, and Shizuko Ishii in Tokyo.
After he moved to the UK he studied the violin with Jill Thoday, piano with Antonietta Notariello and composition with Nigel Clarke at the Royal Academy of Music, and then violin with Kun Hu and piano with Raymond Banning at the Trinity College of Music in London.

Also, he took the masterclasses in Dartington and Coucheval/private lessons with Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Tomotada Soh, Sigrun Edvaldsdottir, Andrea Jacobs-Gajic and Winifred Roberts.
He has given many concerts at many churches, including Southwark Cathedral and St Bride's Church in London, St John's Church in Harrow, St Peter's Church in St Albans, Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, Waltham Abbey Church in Waltham Abbey, Emmanuel Church in Cambridge, St Nicholas Church and Unitarian Church in Brighton and Christ Church in Southport in Merseyside.

Alessandro Viale is an extremely versatile musician. He holds Master's Degrees in Piano, Harpsichord, Composition and Conducting (and a Bachelor's degree in Physics!).
In 2016 he became a Junior Fellow in Piano Accompaniment at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire and also a Professional Accompanist at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
Born in Rome (Italy), he has recently moved to the UK where he has a busy career as solo pianist, chamber musician, continuo player and accompanist. He has played in numerous festivals and major venues in Italy including Villa d'Este and Filharmonica Romana. He often works with renowned ensembles such as Imago Sonora and co-founded the Ardore Duo. He has premiered more than thirty pieces written by composers from many countries.
A successful composer, his «Songs of simple desires» for voice and cello have been recently premiered in Estonia. He is the author of the soundtrack of the film «Cam Girl» directed by Mirca Viola.

In 2015 he recorded «Steps Volume 5: Sixteen Scenes before a Crucifixion», composed by Peter Seabourne, for the label Sheva Collection which has been widely and positively reviewed in such journals as Piano News and Musical Opinion. He recorded further discs in 2017.

Programme

Ralph Vaughan Williams:      The Lark Ascending

Gerald Finzi:                             Introit Op.6

Gabriel Faure:                          Berceuse Op.16

Lili Boulanger:                          Nocturne

Claude Debussy:                     La plus que lente L 121

Edward Elgar:                          Chanson de Nuit Op.15 No.1

Johann Sebastian Bach:          Adagio and Presto from Solo Violin Sonata No.1 BWV 1001

Admission is free, There will be a retiring collection. Refreshments served from 10.15am.  All are very welcome