Late Spring Concert by Concerts in Caversham

International prize winner violinist Jiafeng Chen is accompanied by Adrienne Black pianist, accompanist on BBC's Young Musician of the Year. 

An evening of romance, drama infused with western blues plus nostalgic and wistful melodies - from pastoral Beethoven to sumptuous Gershwin songs - a wide variety of music to tease every palette.

St Andrews is a welcoming and friendly venue. Wine is served both before the event and during the interval. 

Jiafeng Chen - violin and Adrienne Black - piano

• Sonata in D major - Beethoven
• Sonata in A major - Brahms
• Sonata in D minor - Prokofiev
• Liebislied and Liebisfreud - Kreisler
• Extracts from Much Ado About Nothing Suite - Eric Korngold
• Heifitz arrangements of Gershwin songs.

Biographies:

Chinese violinist Jiafeng Chen was born in Shanghai. At the age of 16, he won the 1st Prize at the Wieniawski International Competition for Young Violinists in Lublin with further prizes awarded from the European Union Music Competition and the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music. He won the 2nd Prize at the Jean Sibelius International Violin Competition in Helsinki at the age of 18. Other major prizes include the 2nd prize at the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition and the 2nd prize at the Windsor International String Competition in UK. He is also a Laureate of the Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition in Brussels. Furthermore, he was awarded the Paganini Prize at the Indianapolis International Violin Competition in the USA. After his studies at the Primary and Middle Schools Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Chetham’s School of Music, he went on to study at the Royal College of Music in London (BMus honours) and The Juilliard School in NYC (Master of Music) with full scholarships. The centuries-old Worshipful Company of Musicians in UK awarded him a special medal for his outstanding achievements and contributions during his studies at the Royal College of Music graduation ceremony. After his studies, he was appointed a Violin Professor at the College, and he also teaches at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Chetham’s School of Music. He was praised as “not only technically brilliant but also subtle, deeply felt and astonishingly mature” (Nottingham Evening Post); and “classically poised and flashy” (BBC). Jiafeng Chen’s career as a soloist has taken him to all six continents. He has been heard as a soloist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera National de Nancy, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, Ukrainian National Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra (U.K.) amongst others and at major concert halls including the Finlandia Hall, Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall. He has collaborated with violinists David Chan and Cho-Liang Lin; cellist Gary Hoffman; and conductors Paavo Berglund, Paul Goodwin, Lorin Maazel, Paolo Olmi, Petri Sakari, John Storgårds and Gilbert Varga. He has performed solo concerts at Beijing International Chamber Music Festival broadcasted by CCTV Music Channel, Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, Lake District Summer Music, BBC Proms in UK broadcasted by BBC Radio 3, Verbier Festival in Switzerland broadcasted by France Musique, Valdres Sommersymfoni in Norway, La Jolla Music Society SummerFest in USA, opening gala of the Menuhin Violin Competition, the Kloster Schontal Violin Competition, and performed as a guest concertmaster with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Jiafeng is currently a DPhil student at Oxford University researching the transitions of international Chinese students into UK conservatoires, focusing on the student-professor relationships within this unique educational environment.  

Adrienne Black studied at the Royal College of Music where she completed her Dip RCM, Advanced Performance Studies and won the inter-collegiate Raymond Russell and Geoffrey Tankard harpsichord prizes.   Working with a variety of chamber orchestras - Southern Sinfonia, The Oxford Philharmonic, City of Oxford Orchestra, choral societies and soloists, including recording work for the Associated Board, Adrienne has performed as a piano/harpsichord soloist, accompanist/continuo player and chamber-musician throughout the UK and in Europe, in venues ranging from palaces and prisons-with Sir Yehudi Menuhin’s ‘Live Music Now!, to The South Bank in repertoire ranging from all six Brandenburg Concertos to Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia and The Rio Grande!   She accompanied for winning performances in the televised rounds of the BBC Young Musician of the Year ’20 and has played in master-classes for some of this country’s leading soloists and teachers, often at the Royal College of Music.  She also plays for summer schools, conservatoire/university recitals and auditions and has been on the panel of professional accompanists for the RCM since 1991.     As Artistic Director for ‘Concerts in Caversham’, Adrienne, with her late husband Timothy Watts, was instrumental in establishing this chamber-music series which brings together some of the country’s finest musicians. They have showcased BBC Young Musician of the Year finalists, as well as principal players from many of London’s top orchestras and ensembles alongside the best freelance musicians on the circuit.   She is currently Senior Piano Tutor and Accompanist at Bradfield College until May when she will leave to have time to travel and have a mini sabbatical!