Young talent hits the stage at St Martin-in-the-Fields for a special concert performed by some of the most talented emerging musicians in London. The ensemble comprising Radu Ropotan - violin, Ioana Forna - violin, George White - viola, Raphael Lang - cello and Alexandra Văduva - piano will engage in an exuberant musical dialogue offering a rich and ardent interpretation of two of the major works by Enescu and Dvořák.
Programme:
Enescu: Piano Quintet, Op. 29
Dvořák: Piano Quintet, Op. 81
A winner of more than sixteen national and international prizes including the first prize at the "Remember Enescu" international violin competition (Sinaia, Romania, 2007) as well as the special prize at the 2005 "Andrea Postacchini" international competition in Fermo, Italy, Radu Ropotan has started playing the violin at the age of six, in his hometown Galati, Romania. Radu Ropotan has a very active musical life engaging in orchestral projects, chamber music and solo concerts. In 2011, he received a scholarship from the Royal Academy of Music for his Masters degree and is currently studying under the guidance of Igor Petrushevsky.
Ioana Forna is in the fourth year of the BMus programme at the Royal College of Music studying violin with Berent Korfker. In her first two years at the College she was in the class of Yossi Zivoni. Ioana started playing the violin at the age of seven being taught by her mother and then studying at the 'Sigismund Toduţă' Music High School in Cluj, Romania. In the last three years she has been part of the Romanian National Youth Orchestra, under the guidance of Cristian Mandeal and Marin Cazacu. Since studying in London, she has performed within the Royal College of Music. Ioana is currently the 1st Violin of the Sattler Quartet formed at the RCM in 2012.
George White is currently in his final undergraduate year at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM), studying with Garfield Jackson of the Endellion String Quartet. At the RAM, George is an active orchestral player and has performed under the batons of prestigious conductors, including Sir Simon Rattle, Edward Gardner, Sir Trevor Pinnock and Sir Mark Elder. In 2011, he performed as principal viola with the RAM Sinfonia for the world premiere production of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies' opera, 'Kommilitonen!', and 2012 saw his first performance with the Sainsbury's Royal Academy of Music Soloists, under the direction of Clio Gould. Alongside his orchestral commitments, George is a passionate chamber musician and has been in demand with a number of long-standing ensembles and one-off group projects. He has received coaching from members of the Endellion, Doric, Emerson, London Haydn, Chilingirian and Skampa string quartets, members of the Nash Ensemble and many other eminent chamber musicians.
Raphael Lang, (born in 1990) is a French-American cellist. From the age of 13, he studied at the National Regional Conservatory of Paris with Marc Coppey, Raphael Pidoux and Erwan Faure. Since 2009, he is an undergraduate at the Royal Academy of Music, in the class of David Strange. He has participated in masterclasses with Raphael Wallfisch, Robert Cohen, Colin Carr, David Finckel or Christoph Henkel. At the Royal Academy, he is the winner of the May Mukle Prize 2011, the David Martin/Florence Hooton Prize 2012, and received the Robert Alva Memorial Prize and the Peter Halling Prize. He has been accepted into the LSO String Experience Scheme, and will be performing with them later in the year. He performs frequently in the USA as soloist and chamber musician.
First-prize winner in 2011 of the prestigious Vienna International Piano Competition, pianist Alexandra Văduva is a student of Diana Ketler at the Royal Academy of Music. Born in 1991, Alexandra started her musical education in Romania with Doina Olteteanu and has since won various awards including at the "Beethoven" and "Eastbourne Young Soloist" Competitions, both held in the UK. Recently, she performed for important pianists and teachers, such as Stephen Hough, Pascal Devoyon, Jerome Rose, John O'Conor and Joanna MacGregor. Alexandra has recently performed Stravinsky's Piano Concerto with the Royal Academy of Music Wind Orchestra conducted by Keith Bragg and she will focus once more her attention on the Russian composer during the orchestral performance of the „Petrushka" ballet suite conducted by Thierry Fischer.
When: Tuesday, 10 December, 1pm
Where: St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London.
This lunchtime concert is free and no ticket is required.
