Celebrated Irish pianist Fiachra Garvey presents two masterworks of the solo piano canon. Beethoven's late E major sonata Op. 109 is a work of sheer beauty, featuring some of the composer's most heartbreakingly poignant melodies. Rachmaninov's Sonata No 1 in D minor is a work that strikes fear into many pianists, due to its colossal scale, technical difficulty and emotional demands. Two works which complement each other and provide the listener with the full spectrum of the piano's incredible possibilities. About the Musician Leading Irish pianist Fiachra Garvey is possessed of a maturity and profound understanding of his art, which when combined with his infectious enthusiasm for music-making, has already captivated audiences in concert halls across Europe and beyond. First prizewinner at the prestigious Jaques Samuel Competition (2012), London, Fiachra made his Fazioli Auditorium (Italy) and Wigmore Hall debuts in 2013. Other notable international competition successes including prizes at AXA Dublin International Piano Competition (Brennan Prize and McCullough Bursary), EU Piano Competition Prague (concerto finalist), 3rd Soirees-Concours Internationales de Piano a Collioure, France (Audience award) and Feis Ceoil Dublin (Morris Grant Bursary
and Mabel Swainson award). The National Concert Hall Dublin awarded Fiachra the coveted “Rising Star” prize in 2011, which led to a number of solo and concerto debuts. Fiachra graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, London, in 2013 with 1st class honours and distinction in the M.A. in Music Performance. This follows a 1st class honours B.A. in Music Performance from the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2011 and a 1st class honours DipMus (performance and teaching) from the RIAM in 2008. Concerto appearances include the Janá?ek Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra, RIAM Symphony Orchestra, Hibernian Orchestra and UCD Symphony Orchestra; working with eminent conductors including John Wilson, Duncan Ward, Ruth Reinhardt, Theodore Kuchar, Stephen Bell and Mihhail Gerts. Recent highlights include Google Dublin (first classical artist to be invited), Spoleto Italy, Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall Manchester, NCH Dublin, Snape Maltings Aldeburgh, Petworth Festival, New Ross Piano Festival, St Martin in the Fields, Kilkenny Arts Festival, Brighton Festival, Geneva Festival Switzerland, West Cork Music, St Magnus Festival Orkney, Wexford Opera House, Ortús Chamber Music Festival, Killaloe Chamber Music Festival, Drogheda Classical Music, Clifden Arts Festival, a series of solo and two piano recitals in Japan and a tour of China. Fiachra’s debut CD For the Piano, under the Lyric FM label, was released in 2012: “brings a deep and infectious enthusiasm, combined with insight and technical comfort.” (The Sunday Times). His second cd, a live performance from Wigmore Hall was released in 2014. Fiachra is the founder and artistic director of the West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival (Ireland) described as “one of the best classical music festivals in Europe” (BBC Music Magazine) and Classical Vauxhall (London) described as “everything the classical concert in the 21st Century should be” (iNews). Fiachra was awarded an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, London (ARAM) in 2018, served on the Board of Directors of the Dublin International Piano Competition from 2016–2022 and was made a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians in 2021 and a Freeman of the City of London in 2022. When not performing, Fiachra loves nothing more than returning home to help on the family farm with the yearly lambing, dipping, shearing, harvesting and all the other elegant and refined activities on the farm. Fiachra feels this makes him a more inspired and fulfilled musician. www.fiachragarvey.com
