Piano recital marks music’s return

Cristian Sandrin, who made his Scottish recital debut at Mellerstain House in 2019, will be returning to the Borders to perform at the Old Parish Church in Kelso on August 12 at 7.30pm, with an appealing programme of works by Chopin and Ravel.
Cristian Sandrin. Photo: Gabriel Isserlis.Cristian Sandrin. Photo: Gabriel Isserlis.
Cristian Sandrin. Photo: Gabriel Isserlis.

After studies in his native Romania, he graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London, being awarded the Advanced Diploma in 2019, the highest qualification offered by that institution.

He has won prizes in many international piano competitions, most recently at the Olga Kern International Piano Competition in New Mexico, US, and second prize at the Windsor International Piano Competition (2019).

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Solo concerts have taken him from Bucharest to the Salle Cortot in Paris, La Fenice Theatre in Venice, the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and the Polish National Philharmonic Hall. During lockdown Cristian recorded Bach's Goldberg Variations and the film was streamed to audiences in many places where he would have played live.

Musicians have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with all their live concerts disappearing and so much uncertainty still hanging over future events.

For some it has been devastating, destroying not only their income, but also their confidence and self-belief, and there are many in the performing arts sphere who have had no financial help at all from the government during this past year.

Local violinist Gina McCormack said: “We need to do everything we can to get live music up and running again, safely and securely.

"Audiences have been missing cultural experiences.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"The online offerings during this period have tried to fill the void, but there is nothing quite like attending a live event.

"The Eastgate Theatre in Peebles stands out as one of the first venues in the Borders to open up and I was fortunate to play there recently, as well as in Kelso.

"I cannot tell you how emotional it was to be back on stage. With musicians desperate to perform and audiences so needing the well-documented health and well-being effects of music after this challenging year, we need to pull together and support the industry.”

Tickets for Cristian Sandrin's piano recital are £15 and seats need to be reserved in advance. The hour-long concert will not have an interval.

Please phone 07970 804 802 for further information and to reserve seats.

Related topics: