11:30 Saturday Morning Concerts: Con Fuoco

Con Fuoco - Duo

Emre Oztek and Harriett Stubbs met and performed together at Trinity College of Music After Stubbs completed her masters in New York and returned to London, they formed their piano duo Con Fuoco in 2014. Con Fuoco performs a wide variety of four-hand and two-piano repertoire in the UK, Europe and the USA. The next stop of their tour will take place in the opening night of a new concert series in June in New York.

Harriett Stubbs

Harriet Stubbs began piano studies at the age of three, performing publically a year later. At the age of five she was awarded a full scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama given by the Elsie and Leonard Cross Memorial Foundation where she studied under the late Professor Emeritus James Gibb, and later Ronan O'Hora.  At the age of seven she had passed all eight piano exams with distinction.

A year later her performances of Mozart’s piano concerto in A major at the age of nine, and then Bach's Piano Concerto in D minor with the Primavera Chamber Ensemble at the age of ten, received further recognition.  Harriet then went on to perform Mendelssohn’s G minor piano concerto with the Earnest Read Symphony Orchestra at St John’s Waterloo, London. For her undergraduate degree Harriet studied with Douglas Finch at Trinity College of Music. In her final year as an undergraduate she won the piano category of the Trinity Soloists Piano Competition, and was one of the final three soloists overall, playing Prokofiev’s 3rd piano concerto.

Harriet has now completed her Master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music under Dr Arkady Aronov and splits her time between New York and London, working most recently with Evgeny Kissin.

Emre Oztek

Emre Oztek started his piano studies at the age of nine with Oskay Hoca and continued studying with Hoca until he received a Fulbright Scholarship and moved to the USA to pursue an undergraduate degree at Grinnell College at the age of seventeen. At Grinnell, he continued his studies with pianists Dr. Patrice Ewoldt and Dr. Eugene Gaub.  Oztek won both of Grinnell’s music competitions, and received the Hill Award for Musical Excellence and the Curd Award for Outstanding Instrumentalists. He then received a full scholarship to study under Canadian pianist Dr. Michael Kim at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music where he won numerous awards and competitions including Commencement Concert Competition ’07. In 2006-7, he was commissioned by Grinnell College to return as a guest recitalist, and was specially commended by President Russell Osgood for his outstanding performances.

After graduating with high honours in the Dean’s List, Oztek moved to London to pursue a Master’s degree in piano performance at Trinity College of Music under the guidance of professor Mikhail Kazakevich. In his first year, he received the Alfred Kitchin and the Beverly Creed Scholarships. During his studies, he performed in master classes with renowned artists such as Claude Frank, Martino Tirimo, Deniz Arman Gelenbe, Douglas Finch, and Genevieve Lee, and in venues across the USA and Europe.

Since he completed his Masters studies, Oztek leads a busy teaching schedule, and continues an active performing career as a soloist, and a chamber musician. Oztek has commenced his new recital series in January 2015 with his piano duo Con Fuoco, and flute-piano duo, Pialute.

Programme

Sonata for four hands in D Major, KV 381
W. A. Mozart (1756-1791)
   Allegro, Andante, &Allegro molto

Slavonic Dances, op 72
A. Dvorak (1841-1904)
   Dumka (Allegretto grazioso) – No. 2 in E minor

Variations sur un air national de Moore, B. 12a
F. Chopin (1810-1849)                                   

Hungarian Dances, WoO 1 
J. Brahms (1833-1897)
   No. 1 in G minor – Allegro Molto
   No. 2 in D minor – Allegro non assai
   No. 3 in F major – Allegretto
   No. 4 in F minor – Poco Sostenuto
   No. 5 in F-sharp minor – Allegro

Coffee and refreshments served from 10:15

Entry free  Retiring collection