The hands that you see playing Rachmaninoff’s breathtaking Piano Concerto No 3 in the Oscar-winning film Shine, belong to Martin Cousin, a young man who is regarded as one of the most exceptional pianists of his generation. Now, thanks to the arts charity Concerts in the West, audiences in Somerset will have the chance to see those hands live in action on 6 February at Ilminster Arts Centre.
Since graduating from the Royal College of Music, Cousin has been performing regularly at major venues in London including the Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall, Barbican and Royal Festival halls, as well as around the globe with tours in New Zealand, Italy and the United States of America.
Cousin’s talents have been recognised with a number of prestigious awards, including 1st Prize at the 2005 Ettore Pozzoli International Piano Competition in Italy and Gold Medal at the 2003 Royal Overseas League Music Competition in London.
“The fact that Martin’s debut CD of Rachmaninoff’s Sonata No 1 and Morceaux de Salon in 2006 was chosen by the Daily Telegraph as Classical CD of the week should give you an idea of the superb standard of his playing,” said Concerts in the West founder and director, Catherine Hodgson. “So to have him launch Concerts in the West’s 2015 series is a real thrill and I would encourage anyone contemplating coming to see him to book tickets early to secure their seats.”
Catherine is particularly pleased that one of the pieces Cousin has chosen to perform in February is one of Rachmaninoff’s Etudes-Tableaux, which was declared “a landmark recording” when it was released as a CD in 2014 as well as receiving a five-star review in the Observer.
All of Cousin’s recorded output has been exceptionally well received – his second CD, which featured Glazunov’s piano sonatas, was released in 2010 by SOMM Recordings and described by Gramophone magazine as “in every way, an impressive disc.”
Highlights of Martin Cousin’s past three seasons include Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Concerto with the Philharmonica at Barbican Hall and Royal Festival Hall, Grieg’s Concerto at Symphony Hall, Mozart’s Concerto K488 at Royal Festival Hall and a solo recital at Wigmore Hall.
As well as his solo performances, Cousin’s chamber music work has taken him to Prague, Tokyo, Indonesia, Thailand, Zimbabwe and Barbados. He is also a founder member of the Aquinas Piano Trio, who played a series of enormously popular concerts for Concerts in the West in 2013.
Musical Programme – Martin Cousin, piano:
Beethoven Sonata in G Op 31 No 1; Brahms 3 Intermezzi Op 117; Liadov Variations on a Polish Theme; Rachmaninoff Etudes-Tableaux Op 33.
Performance and Box Office Details for Martin Cousin:
- Friday 6 February 2015 8pm, Ilminster Arts Centre at The Meeting House, East Street, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 0AN. Box Office: 01460 55783 9.30am-4.30pm Monday to Friday (Pre-concert supper at 7pm – advanced booking required £12) www.themeetinghouse.org.uk Tickets: £15. Bar and café, IAC and town parking, plus car parks, disabled access.
Ticket discounts for young people: Concerts in the West would like to encourage more children and students to attend concerts and we offer the following discounts:
Children/Students age 12 years and over: half price
Children under 12 years of age: FREE entry with a family member
School Groups (and more than two children with adults): to be negotiated separately.
Bring a friend for free: Concerts in the West ticket holders may bring for FREE one friend who has never attended a Concerts in the West performance before.
For further information about this concert and the 2015 concert series, please contact Catherine Hodgson, Director, Concerts in the West. Tel: 01460 53500, email: [email protected] or visit www.concertsinthewest.org