Pianist Ready To Make Amends

Leading British pianist Freddy Kempf will be keeping a promise to his Warwickshire fans when he crowns the classical line-up in this month’s Stratford Music Festival.

Freddy had to pull out of last year’s event at the last minute because of a sudden illness – but he promised to return as soon as possible to make amends.

And on October 17 he will do just that with a recital of Beethoven, Liszt and Chopin in Stratford Town Hall, Sheep Street, at 7.30pm. The appealing programme includes Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata and Chopin’s Grande Polonaise.

Freddy has been a concerto soloist with many top orchestras but he is also a committed recitalist. He was devastated when he had to pull out of last year’s festival in Stratford and posted his public apology and promise to return on his website.

This year’s eight-day event opens at 11am on October 12 with a fanfare on the steps of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

Other concerts to look out for include the London Mozart Players playing Mozart, Mendelssohn, Barber and Tchaikovsky at Holy Trinity Church on October 19 and a recital of Beethoven, Brahms and Schumann by the hugely talented Russian-born violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky and his pianist wife Wu Qian at the Town Hall on October 13.

Trumpeter Crispian Steele-Perkins will be teaming up with pianist Les Pearson for a celebration of music spanning three centuries at St Helen’s Church, Clifford Chambers, on October 18, and the Orchestra of the Swan will be joined by respected cellist Raphael Wallfisch for Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations at the Civic Hall, Rother Street, on October 15.

There will also be lunchtime concerts at the Town Hall throughout the week, and early evening beer concerts at different venues.