Benjamin Grosvenor (piano)

The Pharos Arts Foundation presents British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor in a recital comprising works by Gershwin, Ravel, Mompou, Chopin and Liszt. The young Benjamin Grosvenor is internationally recognized for his electrifying performances and penetrating interpretations. Audiences barely know where to start in describing his performances, with reviews such as that in International Piano Magazine commenting that 'it is hard to know which is the more startling in a pianist still in his mid-teens: the all-encompassing mastery of technique, or the flair and maturity of imagination. He really is a rare talent.' His recital for the Pharos Arts Foundation will take place on Wednesday, 16 February 2011, at The Shoe Factory, Nicosia / 8.30pm

British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor is internationally recognized for his electrifying performances and penetrating interpretations. An exquisite technique and ingenious flair for tonal colour are the hallmarks which make Benjamin Grosvenor one of the most sought-after young pianists in the world. His virtuosic command over the most strenuous technical complexities never compromises the formidable depth and intelligence of his interpretations. Audiences barely know where to start in describing his performances, with reviews such as that in International Piano Magazine commenting that 'it is hard to know which is the more startling in a pianist still in his mid-teens: the all-encompassing mastery of technique, or the flair and maturity of imagination. He really is a rare talent.'

Benjamin first came to prominence as the outstanding winner of the Keyboard Final of the 2004 BBC Young Musician Competition at the age of 11. Since then, Benjamin has become an internationally regarded pianist performing concerti with renowned orchestras from the London Philharmonic and the Tokyo Symphony to the Brazilian Symphony. For his Helsinki debut with Kymi Sinfonietta, Benjamin's performance was described as 'Wunderkind dives straight to the heart of the music' (Helsingin Sanomat), again celebrating his prodigious intuition. In the United States, Benjamin Grosvenor has performed with the North Carolina Symphony, and made his Carnegie Hall debut as soloist with the New York Youth Orchestra at the age of thirteen. In 2009, Benjamin's sell-out debut with the Philharmonia at the Royal Festival Hall was hailed as 'a performance that took its expressive and dramatic cues from the very heart of the music, and in so doing crafted an interpretation of palpable character and astute panache' (Daily Telegraph). Benjamin's orchestral performances have taken him to prominent venues such as the Barbican, Muza Kawasaki in Toyko and the Royal Albert Hall and he has worked with numerous esteemed conductors including Alexander Lazarev, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Alan Buribayev.

Already an accomplished recitalist, Benjamin performs to acclaim across the world. A regular at the Wigmore Hall in London, he has also made debuts at venues including the Victoria Hall in Singapore and the Philia Hall in Tokyo. In the USA, Benjamin has appeared at the Gilmore Festival and is a favourite in Saint Paul at the Chopin Society in Minnesota. Benjamin has recently given a highly successful fifteen-concert tour across Germany, for which he was labelled a 'piano visionary' by the Süddeutschen Zeitung. Benjamin continues to work chamber music collaborations into his busy schedule and performs regularly with members of the English Chamber Orchestra in London. Highlights of the 2010-11 season include his recital performance for the LSO St. Luke's Chopin Series, Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales? New Year Concert and his Belgian debut at BOZAR in Brussels.

In recent years EMI Classics have supported Benjamin through an innovative development agreement. Benjamin's recordings for the EMI 200th anniversary edition of Chopin's complete works have received accolades in Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine, in which he was lauded for his ?sensitivity of touch, general musicality and affection for the music? and his interpretations of the works were praised above all other existing recordings. Through collaboration with EMI and Bowers & Wilkins Society of Sound, Benjamin recorded a mixed recital in 2008, which has now been released on CD, entitled 'This and That'. Overwhelming commendation has followed, with Gramophone exclaiming 'the performances by Benjamin Grosvenor exhibit a skill and talent not heard since Kissin's legendary teenage Russian debut'. During his short but sensational career to date, Benjamin has been featured in two BBC television documentaries, and his performances have been broadcast widely in the UK, Europe and the USA.

Benjamin Grosvenor's teachers have included Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music, Leif Ove Andsnes, Stephen Hough, and Arnaldo Cohen amongst others.

Programme
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Frederick Chopin: Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20
Mazurka in A minor, Op.17 No.4
Mazurka in D major, Op.33 No.2
Scherzo No. 4 or 2 TBC

interval

Maurice Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit
Frederick Mompou: Cancion y Danza Nos 1, 3 & 6
Franz Liszt: Rhapsodie Espagnol